Herb finds and tips at the Lung Center Market

I have heard about the Lung Center Market for years, but it was not until last year that I ventured to go there.  Now, I find myself wanting to go back every week but my schedule is not always as willing.

For weeks I have been wanting to go here because for the nth time I killed off my rosemary seedling and I want to get one that would more likely outlive my best efforts to love it to death.  Putting it lightly, I am not one of those whom old people say have “malamig ang kamay” when it comes to plants or I don’t have the magic of a green thumb.

But yesterday, I had, actually its more like, I made some “me-time” to finally go there.   Usually, I go with the family, but I find myself pressed for time when I do.  It’s either the kids are getting tugging at me to go to the pets area or my husband is giving me the “its-time-to-go-home” look with matching watch-tapping-finger-movement.  So it was a blessing that I was able to go by myself… hayyy.

This time, I was able to go to the “forbidden” area, the plants section, never had enough time to go there before.  It’s the farthest aisle if you are coming from Quezon Boulevard and its 3 connected aisles of flowering plants, seedlings, ornamentals and herbs for gardens with some cutflowers from time-to-time.

This lady sells her sweet basil at 3 for P100 and their farm is from Antipolo which according to her is also hot so there is a good chance of her plants adapting to Manila climate.

Its a garden-lover’s heaven set in just a few square meters.  The vendors come from as near as Manila Seedling to as far as Bulacan, Batanggas, Laguna and even Baguio.   Considering that, they have to showcase the best they have otherwise its a waste of gas and time.  So really, it’s the edited version of a long and circuitous search of plant nurseries in and outside the Metro.  If you have visited Manila Seedling with its huge nurseries, you know how tedious it can get to go around and really scout for the best plants.  Don’t get me wrong, if you are planning a major landscape project it pays to give these nurseries a visit, but if you are just after one or two choice plants, best to skip it.

This stallowner, Dan, sells quite a variety of herbs from the staples like sweet basil, rosemary and thyme to the more exciting like english lavender and chocolate mint. The small seedlings only go for P25, while a substantial bush of rosemary can go for P250.

What I love the best is that the stallowners really took the time to answer my questions.  As you can imagine, after killing off my own share of herbs, I had more than a few and they gamely answered it.  I was really tempted to get the sweet basil from a lady but had to stop myself because I was really after getting rosemary, unfortunately she is not yet confident hers would thrive in Manila yet so she’s saving it for later.  She did say that the best rosemary for Manila is one with slender leaves rather than be tempted with those with thicker leaves.  Hmmm… interesting.

Finally, I chanced upon Dan, whom I couldn’t help but overhear coded talk of “yes-I-put-in-more-than-you-ordered” with clients he’s in first name basis, suggesting a “suki” status of course, so I felt he is a good vendor for newbies like me.  So I gamely tried his rosemary and asked him the best garden techniques.  According to him, only morning sun, water only when the soil is dry and not too much.  So with those snippets of advice, I brought home my little bush of rosemary worth P50.  A not so bad gamble on another exploit to see if I can make my warm hands cool enough to conquer the legend of the green thumb.

Lung Center Market, Quezon Boulevard, Q.C.
every Sunday 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Dan of Agribest Plantation Inc.
Greenhouse III, Manila Seedling, Quezon Boulevard, Q.C.
0915-4832207