I must admit, the last thing that enters my mind when traveling to the provinces is to drop by a plant store and take home something potted with me. So when the Cuchero of our Calesa included Hidden Garden in our tour, I really thought it was a total waste of time. Thankfully I was wrong.
I’m not exactly one of those people blessed with a green thumb. While I wouldn’t classify these hands as lethal weapons to anything green, my track record of making things grow out of God’s Good Earth hasn’t been very encouraging.
So when our Cuchero brought us to Hidden Garden, I thought to myself that it would be a total waste of time because anything I buy will just end up becoming compost.
Calesa-shaped Plant
With this in mind, and literally a few minutes to kill before checkout time, I decided to make the most of it by walking around the place.
After rounding a corner, a salesgirl was kind enough to give me a quick background about the place. Looking very small from the outside, it turns out that Hidden Garden is actually a whopping 1.8 hectares in size.
After learning this bit of information, I retraced my steps just to get a handle of the place. And I’ll tell you, it still felt small.
[Eh, what’s going on here?!?]
Plants for Sale
But then I realized why it felt that way. As I was walking around, I noticed that much of the place was devoted to raising all sorts of plants, especially in the deeper, off-limit areas. So plants actually got the lion’s share of this place while visitors were limited to a small portion of the 1.8 hectares.
And you know what that means, right? More plants equals more clean air, which may indicate that Hidden Garden has the cleanest air in all of Vigan. And since the sneezing I had in the morning disappeared when I was here, they may be doing a good job of keeping things ship-shape.
Table of Contents
It Gets Better
While breathing all that air seemed to banish my sneezing, another nice salesgirl offered me the opportunity to get fresher air at home, specifically the air in my bathroom.
Hidden Garden Sign.
As I mentioned earlier, I do not have a green thumb and everything I have planted or tried to raise has not survived. You may wonder how lethal these hands are…
I once got a cactus because all it needed was a teaspoon of water a week to keep it alive. It should not have been a problem, right? I mean, it’s like these things are designed to survive under the harshest of conditions so it should be able to live by my side.
Wrong! That cactus left this good earth a month after I took it under my expert care. One day, when I remembered to water it, the cactus was just an empty shell…
Jars for Sale
And no, those are not the words to a sad love song; it literally was an empty shell!
[It was kinda like a deflated balloon.]
So when another one of the nice salesladies suggested a Sansevieria Bacularis plant, I was worried I’d be sending another one go up to plant heaven. But since she was pretty confident that it would survive even my deadly hands, I thought I’d give it a try.
To my surprise, all four tiny Sansevieria Bacularis plants survived. Not only that, but I see a few of the light green shoots growing out of the tiny plastic pots they came in.
[They’re alive! The curse has been broken!]
Sansevieria Bacularis
The reason I purchased this particular plant was because the nice saleslady said they needed little care and not as much light to act as filters in the one place that needs clean air badly – the bathroom.
Sansevieria Bacularis
And since they were grown at the Hidden Garden nursery, she assured me that each of the four plants were healthy enough to survive the trauma of being transferred to bigger pots when I got back to Metropolitan Manila.
[I was sold!]
So I purchased four pieces at PhP 50 each. I initially thought it was expensive, but when I checked the malls after getting back to Metropolitan Manila, a smaller and shorter bunch with artificial soil cost PhP 180 each.
New Shoot
[I was ahead of the game already!]
Actually, had I known they would survive, I would have bought a few more Sansevieria Bacularis plants. It’s like, why stop at just the bathroom, right? I can put them in other places; areas where regular plants won’t survive.
Sansevieria Bacularis in the Bathroom
Places like book shelves, refrigerators, computer desk, dressing table, and even night stand; the list is long.
And since the Sansevieria Bacularis plant is basically a smooth dark green stalk, I never have to deal with thorns or dried leaves.
[It’s perfect for the bachelor or people who abhor cleaning!]
Final Thoughts
The moral of this story is that one should not dismiss going to places like Hidden Garden. Sure, it may not seem like the ideal place to visit, especially when pressed for time in Vigan City. But thanks to a nice saleslady, I was got a plant that actually survived being around me.
Restaurant
Now that we are nearing the end of this article, it may be a good time for some food for thought…
As you know, plants are able to grow because of two things – soil and air. Since the soil isn’t replaced and you find that your Sansevieria Bacularis plant still grows in a dark and damp bathroom, it must be getting nutrients from the air, right?
Well, somebody’s been dumping quality stuff down that toilet!
But seriously, the filtering effect of the plant may be small, given its relative size to the bathroom. But then I am sure it is still much better than just having a bare bathroom.
[Besides, you really can’t lose at 50 bucks a pop.]
Restaurant
Now if you think that Hidden Garden just sells plants, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Their souvenir shop also sells other Vigan products like small elaborately designed jars. Their perfect for your Sansevieria Bacularis plant or for something else.
Finally, the hungry do not have to ride back to Vigan because the Lilong and Lilang Restaurant can be found inside the Hidden Garden area. And while we didn’t get the chance to eat because we needed to get back to the Vigan Plaza Hotel to check out, the tables filled up fairly quickly.
So if you happen to be in Vigan and pass through Hidden Garden, consider giving the Sansevieria Bacularis plant a spot in your bathroom. Who knows? You may enjoy each other’s company.
Must Do’s
- Check out the Sansevieria Bacularis plant for your bathroom.
- Ask any of the helpful salesladies for suggestions on what plant may be ideal for your situation.
- Check out the souvenir shop as it sells more than plants.
Must Don’ts
- Do not pull out leaves from any of the plants.
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