LOOK: A Secret Garden Center In Quezon City
This center has everything, from succulents to seedlings, and orchids to specialty tools and fertilizers. It even has a café where you can sip on healthy smoothies after shopping!
If you think that shopping for plants and tools for your garden meant heading out to Tagaytay or Silang, or settling for the limited selections at small hardware stores, then you are in for a surprise—because right in the middle of a busy road in Quezon City is Cedarhills Garden Center.
According to its CEO Gerald Sioco, Cedarhills Garden Center started out as Green 2000 at the erstwhile Manila Seedling Bank. The gentrification of the area forced them to look for a new venue, and they found this place, serendipitously, on Christmas day three years ago. “Parang regalo siya from God,” Gerald says.
The whole center does look like a gift from God, with its hundreds of plants blossoming and thriving in the midst of a highly urbanized area. It also provides a refreshing respite amongst the restaurants and high-rises along Mother Ignacia, and is a very convenient place for garden hobbyists who live in the big city. Here are some of the many delightful items to see and buy there:
Flowering plants, herbs, leafy vegetables.
The expansive lot of Cedarhills also serves as a greenhouse to various ornamental, herbal, and vegetable plants, all for sale. “We carry a lot of annual flowers, because their lifespan is longer than other types of flowers,” says Gerald.
We spotted violet petunias (above), reddish-pink balinia flowers, white and salmon chichirica blooms, yellow button mums, along with edible potted arugula and Thai basil (the basil sells for a mere P50 a pot). Towards the back of the lot is the Waling greenhouse, where you can see exotic orchid plants, also for sale.
Cactus plants and other succulents.
Nurturing succulents has become a trend, especially amongst city dwellers. Cedarhills addresses this trend by selling a wide array of cacti, from the ordinary ones like the popular echeveria (main photo, right) and haworthia, to rarer, more expensive species for the serious collector brought in by the Cactus Society of the Philippines. Incidentally, Cedarhills will be holding their first Cactus and Succulents Workshop, starting this May. Check out their Facebook page for announcements.
Ornamental and vegetable seeds, potting mix, fertilizers.
“Everything that you need for your garden you can buy here,” says Gerald. “From the soil, potting mix, the shades, and ultraviolet nets you want to use.” Seeds and fertilizer from major gardening companies like Ramgo are also available.
Gardening tools, hoses, pots and containers, and vases.
A walk down to the lower level of the center reveals an entire room dedicated to pots and plant containers in various shapes and sizes. True to their being a one-stop-shop, Cedarhills can also build a greenhouse for you, or hire a landscape gardener if you need one.
Urban gardening workshops.
Cedrahills also holds regular workshops called “Urban Gardening 101,” and has a special section within the center that shows examples of it, with containers made out of soda bottles, office cabinets, and even old toys. “You don’t have to buy new containers, you can reuse whatever you have at home,” urges Gerald. You can check out the schedules of their workshops on their Facebook page.
A healthy eats and smoothies café.
Sipping a refreshing Banana Almond smoothie at the Hillside Café & Juice Bar is the perfect ending to day of garden shopping. Owned by Noelle Hilario and crafting maven Alessa Lanot, this charming dining spot with hand-stamping and boho macramé on the walls serves healthy, organic dishes too, such as Falafel Soft Tacos and yummy Beancurd Chicharon on roasted vegetables, among many others.
“We saw the space, and the owners of Cedarhills wanted to put up a café here. So we just pitched the idea to them—to have a café and juice bar—and they liked it. We think it really fits the whole ambience and vibe of the place,” recalls Noelle.
Visit Cedarhills Garden Center at 57 Mother Ignacia St., Quezon City; store hours are from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm; mobile 09079262707. Or visit their Facebook page.
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