A Garden Resort

A garden resort (Rafael's Farm) we found in Leyte, Philippines is a good venue for meetings and receptions. It is a rolling plane formerly planted to coconuts. Today, it is an idyllic place enticing you to convert your piece of land  to have the same developments. I even have our landscape very well designed already, in my mind. There is already a butterfly garden in one area, a stable for mini horses in one area, a short zipline to join 2 ridges together, and even a canopywalk to complete the thrill of young people. And i have been contemplating of a development like this in our property in the province, only one thing is lacking...FUNDS! In fact i envy a friend, Solitude Rising, whom i've just met here in blogspot, whose dream of having a landscaped farm is already being fulfilled. He is doing it on remote control, but he is succeeding.

This old wok with flowers greets the visitors in the lounging area. The white flowers are Thunbergia grandiflora while the yellows are probably Allamanda cathartica or yellow bells.

 I am very much fascinated by this roof shed. The nipa leaves were covered with net and the roof maintained good moisture at the edges providing a nice condition for these ferns to grow luxuriantly. How enticing it is to be under it, relax, read a book, or just sit and watch the beautiful surroundings.

This seat provides a good resting area either singly or in pair. It is positioned in a moderately shaded area of different kinds of palms for comfortable sitting.

 This is a small sitting area, where one can order drinks. It also contains some antiques collected by the owner through the years. At the front left corner is a pond of ornamental fishes like koi and at the side are tilapia which can be caught by hook and line for fun. You can catch and cook them for lunch in a nearby grill. You will just pay for the weight of the fish you caught.

During our visit we saw pairs of ducks swimming in the above pond, they look so beautiful gliding through the placid waters. 

Other areas of the property are planted with ornamental plant groupings according to their requirements, e.g. succulent garden, rainforest garden, orchid garden, foliage garden and flower garden.



The circuitous foot walks are molded concrete with various leaf designs. Topiaries of different foliage colors provided very nice accents. Those chairs can be very inviting in the mornings and afternoons when the sun is not yet too high.

At the other end of the property is a tall hut built on a tree, "a tree house", which can accomodate a small group for some rounds of drinks, or a singing session. Unfortunately, i was not able to take a photo.

other nook features in this garden

The washrooms