Jardinerong Sunog (the Burnt Gardener)

Ginger collectors would surely be familiar with Globba winitii and the yellow-flowered ones like G. marantina and G. schomburgkii . The former have mauve to white bracts, but all three bear golden yellow flowers; indeed, many species from this genus have yellow flowers. Globba campsophylla , a widespread Philippine endemic, breaks the norm by being one of the few white-flowered ones. And during a solo trek, I had the opportunity to observe this species in flower. Like many globbas, G. campsophylla are low-growing plants usually only around 70 cm tall. They are mainly lithophytic and shade-lovers, often near bodies of water. In some instances, colonies can be found in water seepages, although there are those that are found on rocks that get very dry during the warmer months; in these situations, the plants undergo a slight dormancy where the emaciated pseudostems droop but are not shed off. The plants usually bloom at the onset of the wet season. Compared to many Globb...

Kohleria hybrid What does forest deforestation have to do with losing plants in my collection? Over the years I have managed to expand the plant collection in waves- many were obtained either via trades or given as gifts, or simply bought. This was a time when I was as rabid a collector as anyone could possibly be, a time when I always had my eyes set on a plant or two and will seek out anyone who happened to have that plant I want. Now, as many of you probably already know, I have made it a habit of trekking into forests to observe plants in their natural habitats and fortunately, there is one within my area, although much of the old growth has already been harvested way even before I was born. But on my later visits, I was appalled by the sudden influx of charcoal producers- trees were being cut down and land being razed to the ground to make way for coal production. And this was particularly troubling because this forest is one of the two sources of water for our town. It wa...