It’s a series of gardens on a multi-hectare property that might as well be a park
Photos by JYD
Like a piece of paradise restored after last year’s ashfall, this private resort is blooming again.
The fruit trees are heavy laden, mango, chico, calamansi. The ornamentals display their colors in a contest where no one is a loser. Some plants are so rare even the three gardeners who take care of them are not sure of their names. Only the lady of the manor and her landscape artist know for sure, but today being a weekday neither of them is around to educate the visitor who has eyes to appreciate but no vocabulary to widen.
The best part of the secret garden is how the sun shines without burning the skin and how the moon glows without the noises of traffic and the smog of pollution marring its beauty.
The garden is not just a garden—it’s a series of gardens on a multi-hectare property that might as well be a park. The house, designed for three generations, takes its inspiration from Bali with its carvings in wood and stone. The greenery—orchard, walkways, circular paths—is interrupted here and there with a portico or two, carved in Balinese style, while deities sculptured in stone guard entrances and exits. Besides the “big house,” there’s a spa, a pool, and a lanai for family activities. They co-exist in tranquil harmony in sun and shade, in peace and quiet, or amid the merry sounds of children at play and adults laughing at the latest jokes.
The best part of the secret garden is how the sun shines without burning the skin and how the moon glows without the noises of traffic and the smog of pollution marring its beauty. Wait for your turn to be invited, dear one.
