Last Minute at the Sunday Market

Last hour of Centris stalls

Rarefruit members

I was contemplating if I will go to the Centris Sunday Market last weekend.  For one I texted Ponchit Enrile at 9:30 am (needed to give him complimentary copies of Metro Home Magazine) if he was there, but he appears to be not looking at his phone.  I also messaged plant friend Ernie Alvaran if he wanted to go but also no reply. At past 11 am, I decided to brave the Sunday noon heat and take my chances. Thanks to the empty Sunday Q.C. streets, I reached Centris in a jiffy.

Rarefruit society merchandise

At Centris, it was not hard to find Ponchit.  He was there at his usual place in the Rarefruit stall, exchanging stories with other bubbly members of the society. I handed to him the magazines and while the people inside flipped through the pages, Ernie appeared in front of the Rarefruit stall. Minutes after, even Centris regular Ressie Navarro popped up. At the last hour of the Sunday Market, the usual plant suspects were all present, trying to catch a last glimpse of the flora merchandise before stalls close.

Large Hoya cumingiana

Plants sold at one stall

One unusual specimen I saw was a large Hoya cumingiana, grown in a 14 inch terra cotta pot, with sprays almost 2 meters in length.  The branching (rather than the usual vining growth) Hoya usually are seen attached to limestone cliffs.  It is still quite common in the wild, and has long been cultivated in gardens. So far I have only encountered small plants especially the garden grown ones, the biggest with sprays reaching about only a meter long.

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The large specimen was sold on the last hour before the stalls were dismantled.  I barely got the chance to take pictures before the new owner whisked it away.  Between doing my chores and seeing the Hoya, my last minute Centris visit became well worth the trip. But capping the weekend market day with a vegetable pasta lunch was an added bonus!