Bonsai Garden

The UP Bonsai Garden

Background

The Bonsai Garden is located at Delos Santos Avenue along Delos Reyes Street in the University of the Philippines, Diliman. It is a 5000-square meter lot that lies within the property of the UP College of Architecture and is taken care of and maintained by Mr. Modesto Manglicmot, a noted landscape designer and a bonsai cultivator.

It exhibits not only Bonsais but also other species of plants personally cultivated by Mr. Modesto Manglicmot, who donated 175 of his Bonsais to the University as part of a memorandum of agreement signed on April 4, 2000. Prior to the donation though, Mr. Manglicmot's bonsais were formerly displayed at the Manila Seeding Bank Garden in Quezon City.

In 2002, two years after the memorandum of agreement was signed, the Bonsai Garden was opened to the public. Presently, the garden boasts of a wide array of over 400 home grown Bonsais and is displayed for free to anyone who wishes to view them. Although large amounts of money, even reaching millions, were offered to purchase Mr. Manglicmot's bonsais, they have never been for sale, not even for the purpose of gaining income. Instead, income for maintenance of the Bonsai Garden comes from the rent that is paid to use the garden for various events, which include weddings, parties, book releases and the like.

Awards

From Mr. Manglicmot’s collection, 98 percent are Philippine species and more than 50 percent have won awards, with 25 pieces belonging to the top 10 winners in various Bonsai competitions. In addition, two trees have won as Best Bonsai in Show and three as Best Plant in Show in the Philippine Horticultural Annual Exhibit.[1]

Design

Because the concept of a bonsai garden is Japanese in nature, many characteristics of Japanese architecture can be seen in the UP Bonsai Garden. It must be known that gardens are important to the Japanese because they believe that their home is an extension of nature, and therefore they must have even just a part of nature in their homes. Japanese gardens were developed under the influences of the distinctive and stylized Chinese gardens and the tradition was passed down from sensei to apprentice, in the same way that the art of cultivating bonsai was taught to Mr. Manglicmot by a master of the art.

The art behind Japanese gardens is based on three principles: reduced scale, symbolizations and borrowed view. First, the principle of reduced scale means to miniaturize views seen in the unbuilt environment such as rivers, ponds and mountains, enabling them to be confined in a closed or limited space. This is an important principle because it exhibits the belief of the Japanese that nature is an extension of their home. Second, symbolizations in Japanese gardens means using objects such as rocks or water to represent large scenes or objects. This is seen in the way raked sand is used to represent rivers, and groupings of rocks and stones is used to represent islands. Last, borrowed views is the manner in which Japanese gardens seemingly encompass even the spaces, such as mountains, forests and rivers, even though the spaces are beyond it. The principle of borrowed views makes the garden seem larger and more spacious, using elements beyond it. Also, it must be noted that aside from these principles, the typical features of a Japanese garden include rocks, a water feature, enclosure devices such as a fence or hedge, moss and ornaments, and also that Japanese architecture uses Shizen or natural, meaning the utilization of natural materials is present. It is a characteristic, after all, not only of Japanese architecture but of Japanese gardens as well, to follow the belief of Metabolism in design, which is the utilization and preference of natural, temporal and organic materials over those of which are processed or manufactured.[2]

If the UP Bonsai Garden is observed carefully, these elements are present. The Bonsai Garden is an example of a reduced scale space in an enclosed, which miniaturizes a forest or a natural aspect of the environment. It makes use of stones and rocks, water features and the plants, of course, and it seemingly extends beyond its 50-meter by 100-meter property line, to the areas beyond it. Unfortunately, new buildings are being constructed and these obstruct the borrowed views the Bonsai Garden used to have. The Bonsai Garden also makes use of different man made elements, such as the boundaries, which are, too, very Japanese. At first glance, these boundaries appear as capiz windows found in Philippine architecture, but if they are observed closer, they actually are Shoji windows, as proved by the wideness of the spaces bounded by the wood. The use of Shoji windows and of bamboo as a finish to the structural support of the shaded areas of the garden is an example of Metabolism and the whole of the garden emphasizes nature and its connection to man and his or her home.

About Mr. Modesto Manglicmot

Modesto Manglicmot was an agriculturist at the University of the Philippines Los Baños from 1953 to 1970. Upon graduating, instead of applying for government positions, he did actual farming to broaden his agricultural experience. In 1970, he applied for a teaching position in Jose Abad Santos Memorial School (JASMS), a school in Quezon City. In his 15 years there, he worked on ornamental plant production, rice culture and poultry.

His fascination and ultimately his decision to dedicate himself to the art of making Bonsais came about by chance. He happened to read an article in Reader’s Digest and thought that it would be easy working on Bonsais. He assumed that one would simply have to do the opposite of growing a plant; giving less water etc. (Incidentally, Bonsais need a lot of water for its preservation) He found out soon enough that tending to Bonsais was a much more difficult feat to accomplish.

In 1980, he applied as a regular member of the Philippine Bonsai Society. It was also in this year that he was assigned to head a small group that was to participate in the biennial Bonsai Show; a Japanese event. There were ten members of this group. Sir Modi prepared the stands and the backdrop of the Bonsais and he displayed three of what he thought were his best. But then his group mates brought in their Bonsais, and in Sir Modi’s own words: “If I can only disappear, I would have disappeared”. Then he thought, “If my Bonsais are ugly and theirs are pretty, then I will have contributed something to the group also. My Bonsais will provide the contrast between a good and an ugly Bonsai”. Because of his first Bonsai exhibit experience, Sir Modi was challenged to do better and excel in this art.

Wanting to learn more about the art of Bonsai making, Sir Modi then went to an annual Bonsai and Suiseki exhibition and convention in Osaka, Japan. He went there to know more about Bonsais and at the same time, he wanted to find someone who would teach him the basics of Bonsai making. He was given a one-on-one session by a master of the art and his instructor even let him have a hands-on experience. At the end of their 4 day session, he was surprised, albeit very pleased to find out that the sessions were done for free. This was because he was a member of the Philippine Bonsai Society which was affiliated to the Nippon Bonsai Society in Japan. This is the reason why Sir Modi does not charge his students in the Bonsai-making workshop he has on Saturdays. He teaches people who are interested in the art, for free. One of his students was former UP President Emilio Javier. The workshop starts at 10 o’clock in the morning.

Mr. Modesto Manglicmot was the former President of the Suiseki and Saikei Society of the Philippines, the Philippine Bonsai Society, the Philippine Horticultural Society and the Fern Society of the Philippines.

Although he owns one of the most beautiful and expensive Bonsai collections, Sir Modi, as he is fondly called, appears to be a very simple man. Several times, He has been offered more than a million pesos for a beautiful Bonsai, but he has declined a number of times too, not being interested in the money his Bonsais could generate for him. Instead, he would occasionally give a Bonsai as a gift.

Corenne Martin and Trisha Cruz

References: Pineda, Haidee. UPD's Bonsai Garden. From http://www.upd.edu.ph/whatsup/venue.html

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Bulaong, Carmen Bettina (Professor, College of Architecture). Lecture on Japanese Architecture. 17 February 2012.

Virtudazo, Maricar. UP Diliman Bonsai Garden breathes new life to a fading art form. From http://www.noypi.ph/index.php/featured/5080-up-diliman-bonsai-garden-breathes-new-life-to-a-fading-art-form.html