‘Plantdemic’ hits Filipinos as lockdowns give them more time to focus on gardening

Ventura sits in her rooftop garden in the Philippines. Photo: Privat/Anna Ventura/dpa

Delong De Leon used to have only three potted plants in his home in a suburb just south of Manila. Now, he has over 70 plants, including a 1.5m fire tree that he grew from a seed.

The 44-year-old father of two teenagers says his collection multiplied since the coronavirus lockdown started in the middle of March, which left him with a lot of free time.