ONE of the more amusing phenomena to emerge during the long coronavirus pandemic is the large number of people who have become amateur gardeners, the so-called plantitos and plantitas. Stuck at home due to lockdowns and office closures, people have turned to tending plants as a wholesome way to pass the time, and some have turned the hobby into a small business.
(Clockwise from upper left) Agritecture systems engineer Alberto Lopez, Manila Times editors Dafort Villaseran and Tessa Mauricio-Arriola, Down2Earth founder Nicolo Aberasturi, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) assistant professor Dr. Bryan Apacionado, content creator-entrepreneur Angie Mead King, UPLB assistant professor Ryan Rodrigo Tayobong, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls first vice president Graham Coates and UPLB professor Dr. Fernando Sanchez during the question-and-answer portion of the Times' online forum, Plantastique! Sustainable Gardening for Home and Business, held online on Aug. 18, 2021. SCREENGRAB FROM FACEBOOK LIVE