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Gardens of Porta Verde
Source: Inquirer
Author: Cathy Saldana-Nolido
Date: 2002-04-18
 
A TROPICAL garden basks in the majesty of sunlight, flourishes in the humidity and "showers" in rainwater several months of the year. Its appearance shifts from the dullness of dried leaves to the lushness of verdant leaves, palms, flowering orchids and plants. Gardens in temperate countries, on the other hand, change as the seasons come and go, adapting as winter turns to spring, and as summer gives way to fall.



In the hills south of Caliraya in Cavinti, Laguna, a tropical garden blends naturally with a villa bathed in the colors of the earth and the sun. Stretched in an area of a hectare and a half, the garden rolls with the natural terrain, enhanced by river boulders strategically placed along the slopes of the hillside property. The landscape defines the architecture of this leisure spot called Porta Verde, the gateway to greenery.



Arranged by stylist, furniture-maker and landscape artist Ernest Santiago, the selection of plants and site furniture presents Filipino creativity. Highlighted with crawling greens and creeping shrubs are flowering foliage and fruit-bearing plants used as ornamentation. It is an example of a Filipino garden, one that is laid out as if in spontaneity but is planned with the veritable touches of commonly used plants spread with visual elements uniquely Filipino.



Molave wood, aged and endowed with the patina of gracious years, is used extensively in the form of the travieza, old railroad ties now formed in a linear pattern of steps and accents. The sloping terrain is made easier to traverse with the use of these planks along the sides.



Lighting is essential in any garden. In this leisure villa for lease, safety and aesthetics are parallel with concerns on environmental security and delineation of borders. Santiago designed site lighting with a distinctive Asian influence. These garden light bollards are found along the poolside and underneath trees.



Softening the harshness of vertical lines and the embracing the rigidity of concrete, plants and arranged with dried twigs on the walls, blended with bouquets of anahaw leaves tracing the lines of the ceiling. With drama and verve as only a seasoned stylist as Santiago can do, Filipino materials merge pleasantly with landscape and are given new life.



The blooms provide a resonating command to bring the human senses to a silent mode. In sync with the views of the Sierra Madre mountain ranges, the beautiful Lake Lumot that stretches in an expansive, serene view, the landscaped gardens of Porta Verde are a welcome sight to behold. Here in the hills just a couple of hours away from Manila, where clear skies and fresh air are in bounty, nature is in command. Any guest to this vacation villa will be swept to deep relaxation with the verdant gardens responsible for the calming views. Amid lakeside massages in cabanas and strolls under the chilly skies, leisurely days and quiet retreats are welcome gifts for the human spirit.

 

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