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THE SUNBURST FARM GARDEN

Lipa Batangas

Designed by Yuyung LaO’ and Ponce Veridiano

A pond resplendent with white tropical water lilies by the front patio provides the link between the house and the landscape.

The front patio provides a cool, sheltered spot from which to view the garden.

Sunburst Farm is the country home of Ochie Santos, a gentleman farmer who raises horses and koi fish and his wife, Malyn, a keen gardener and plant enthusiast. Together, they garden five of the 23 hectares (57 acres) that comprise the property along with a number of dedicated gardeners. A pond, resplendent with white tropical water lilies, by the front patio provides the link between the house and the landscape originally designed by noted Philippine designer, Yuyung LaO’. A friend and mentor to the owners, LaO’, laid out the structural planting of the garden. When he retired, Ponce Veridiano took over.

Box forms of Fukien tea and Eugenia anchor the garden, giving it a more intimate scale, as well as providing bold foreground shapes to contrast with the adjoining woodland. One of the design principles evident here and evocative of the styles of both designers is the planting in big sweeps to achieve an effect. In a setting such as this where a major part of the garden is revealed at once but also has to connect to the countryside beyond, a proper, graceful scale of planting is necessary to avoid chaos.

Just below the house are long banks of Heliconias, Miagos and Bromeliads along with wild ginger, so-called zigzag plants, Pedilanthus tithymaloides ‘Variegatus’ and Cordylines. These banks also support a stand of mahogany trees whose fallen leaves have lent an air of unlikely autumn color on the ground. On a slope near the top of the garden are Sansevierias, Cycads and Bromeliads animated by a smiling Buddha statue.

The owners have overseen the planting of a comprehensive botanical collection of not only native trees and plants but of new and rare species from abroad. It is a plant enthusiast’s garden, with a huge range of ornamental species from Bangkok, Singapore and Australia. As such, it is a challenge to combine all the different elements into harmoniously pleasing plant schemes and integrate them seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. Having some stabilizing, repetitive element in the borders—whether at tree or ground level—helps to quiet down an otherwise busy garden. Here, harmony is reinforced by sizeable green swathes of Tabernaemontana variegata known locally as pandakaki, Dieffenbachias, Philodendrons, bird’s nest ferns, Alocasias and Aglaonemas which tie together some of the colorful, more exotic specimens.

The owners have ensured endless variety by combining their spectacular collection with everything from coarse terrestrial ferns, golden Crinum lilies, red-berried ti plants to drifts of towering bamboo and variegated fishtail palms. It makes for a new vista at every turn.

Clipped shrubs of Fukien tea, tall Heliconias and Bromeliads play off formal and informal contrasts in the front entrance walkway.

A small pond with a gazebo ringed by plantings of Bromeliads, Euphorbias, golden Crinum lilies and Osmoxylon geelvinkianum.

Some of the owners’ outstanding Anthurium collection is conveniently potted for display and easily moved to mix with other ornamentals such as ferns, Sansevierias and Philodendron.

Along this path, a dramatic assemblage of Alcantarea imperialis rubra in the background and Vrieseas in the foreground are mixed with stone sculpture and an old cart.

The masterful layering of plants and use of color adds tremendous visual appeal to this garden.

A smiling Buddha statue draws focus to a border of Bromeliads, Sansevierias, golden Crinum lilies and Cycads.

A spectacular grouping of Philodendron erubescens ‘Golden’ and Alcantarea imperialis rubra highlights a lily pond adjacent to the master bedroom.

Giant sweeps of carefully chosen plant specimens create a special effect.

Red Anthuriums provide some welcome color in this otherwise green corridor.

Silvery green Dieffenbachia grace the ends of the curtain plant vine, Vernonia elaeagnifolia.

One of many seating areas in the garden.

A calming palette of greens and greys provides a serene backdrop to this walkway.