THE country?s top horticulturists created an oasis of calm right in the blare of the city when they staged Flora Filipino Expo 2009.

Organized by the Philippine Orchid Society, it had 35 exhibitors from all over the country with over 90 commercial booths showcasing their best blooms at the Quezon City Hall Risen Garden and Orchidarium Park.

?This year is definitely a much bigger show. About 90 percent who joined are from out of town,? said Rommel Arriola, auditor of Philippine Orchid Society.

Among the prominent exhibitors is Rolita Spowart, top breeder of the genus Spathoglottis, the ground orchid that has been catapulted to star status during the expo mainly because it was, as Arriola put it, ?showy.?

It proliferates in the country, with many variants that can be crossed to produce a myriad of shades.

Another scene-stealer was the winner of the Best Other Genera-Sympodial Orchid, a Phaius Dan Rosenberg ?Mello Yellow? by Corazon and Anna Ruth Purificacion. Unique for its yellow petals, the ?Mello Yellow? is a must-have for every collector, Arriola said. It?s seen in shows but not sold commercially.

Also popular was the Clerodendrum, the ornamental, multifloral genus. Also known as the ?Bagflower? or ?Bleeding Heart,? Clerodendrum has already been a favorite abroad for two years now.

A rare piece and winner of the Best in Show-Ornamental Plant in the Best Philippine Ornamental Species is George K. Mendoza?s non-rosette type fern Angiopteris Palmifloris (variegated form). Fondly called by Arriola as ?a freak of nature,? the fern?s leaves have fancy, yellow streaks, so unlike the more common solid-green pigmentation.

Criteria for judging were the plant?s form, floral arrangement (whether it?s multifloral or not), showiness, presentation and color.

A genus that is often hard to appreciate is the Dendrochilum, otherwise known as the ?Rice Orchid.? Often used as accent in landscape design, the Dendrochilum, like lily of the valley, has stalk flowers arranged singly along an elongated stem.

With the Philippines as center of this breed, the Dendrochilum blooms are almost microscopic that appreciation of it is almost an acquired taste. Despite its size, each is a complete flower, each stem holding more than a hundred flowers.

?Many foreigners prefer these small flowers to the large, showy types,? Arriola said.

One of the most noted local species is the Renanthera Philippinensis exhibited by VS Orchids. Not too common but not exactly rare, said Arriola, the species on exhibit had the most red sprays.

?Horticulturists develop crosses or discover something new and they aggressively promote them in floral shows. That?s why we see the rise of demand and trends every now and then,? Arriola said.

Take for instance the Lady Slippers (Paphiopedilum Philippinense), which won the Best Paphiopedilum (native). Exhibited by Adroito Pangapalan of Cebu Orchid Society, the Lady Slippers, said Arriola, was once the hottest thing in horticulture. It?s still sought after, he said, but the novelty of owning one is gone.

The Best in Ornamental Landscape went to Fred B. Salud?s carpet of plant arrangement. No space went to waste as the transition from one plant to the other was seamless. It was able to maximize the use of depth and height with a variety of plants?bromeliads, cycads, philodendrons and aglaonema.

What flower thrives indoors under natural lighting?

?The aglaonema is most suitable for indoors,? Arriola said.

The genus, he said, absorbs toxins in the air so it is perfect for work areas in the home, such as those with computers or TV as these equipment emit radiation. It flowers once in a while, he said, but if the plant needs to be healthy, the flower must be removed.

?Aglaonema is weakest during its ?pregnancy? or flowering stage because it is feeding another one,? Arriola said.

Need a low maintenance plant? You can?t go wrong with cactus. It requires minimal watering and only needs ample sunlight.
To save the plant from ?drowning,? Arriola said it is best to set up a plastic roofing above it so it gets all the sun and not too much water.

Other exhibitors included the teams of Carlos Valeriano Lazaro, Mable Chua, Lita Ibarra, Dr. Olivia Sanchez, Al and Cynthia Isidro, Ma. Lourdes Bernardo who bagged the first place in Orchid Landscape; Arids and Aroids who took home the Best Aroid A and B plum; Daniel Palentinos for his cycad, succulent and foliage; Malvarosa Orchids? Hernando B. Perez, Phapiopedilum Orchids? Dennis Sy, Cebu Orchid Society?s Jamie Chua, Evergreen Tropical Plants? Mary Ann Wu and Mega Orchids? Cynthia Mariano-Isidro.