Japanese Frog Grass was used as ground cover. They're much easier to maintain.

Shrubs are built through the leveling procedure, which groups small plants upfront and the tallest plants in the rear.

The garden is big enough to accommodate this water feature.

To create landscapes is always a joy for us. To landscape an expansive garden is even more pleasurable. Our recent project in Iloilo got us brimming with excitement because the space we worked on was huge. Furthermore, the soil was perfect for planting and the client was most cooperative and very gracious.  She happens to be a passionate lover of gardens and she has that keen sense of beauty in a garden. It also helps that her family generously supports her interest.

We began work on her lawn. It was a smart idea to put palms in place first because these are reliable points of reference in the garden. With their sleek trunks, they appear well-organized and intact. Compared to the flowing lines of ferns and other tropical plants, palms give definite structure and these are always useful when one begins to landscape. We opted for Madagascar (Dypsis madagascariensis) and Foxtail Palms (Wodyetia bifurcata) to line the perimeter of the garden. On the trunks hang such decorative Male Bird's Nest ferns (Asplenium nidus). A sure way to cover the bare trunk of a palm or tree is to attach some ornamental plants and flowers such as orchids and ferns.

In between the Madagascar and Foxtail Palms are medium-sized Traveler’s Palms (Ravenala madagascariensis). In time, their leaves will fan out and will be yet another attraction in the garden. It’s fascinating to see how these plants will eventually spread and occupy more space. The client has the option to retain these palms at a certain height and dimension. After all, this is all about maintenance.

At the base of these palms are thick volumes of shrubs that create a colorful display of lush vegetation. This achieves our desired effect of a full garden. The key to this arrangement is “leveling.” The tallest plants are placed at the rear. Medium height plants come next. After these, the shrubs are grouped together and shaped neatly into topiaries. Lastly, the ground covers line the bottom edges of any plant arrangement. When these plant arrangements have been completed, the rest of the lawn is covered with grass. These days, we often use Japanese Frog Grass as cover because it is easy to maintain. It  looks like Carabao grass (Paspalum conjugatum) but it is in fact a little more expensive.

On this lawn, a variety of plants are neatly arranged into bays: Tobacco Plants (Calathea lutea), Dwarf Phoenix palms (Phoenix roebelenii), Golden Miagos (Osmoxylon miagos), Picarra (Excoecaria cochinchinensis), Mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus), Variegated Schefflera (Schefflera arboricola ‘variegata’), Parrot’s Flower (Heliconia psittacorum), Red Ti Plants (Cordyline fruticosa), Golden Lilies (Crinum xanthophyllum) and White Mondo grass (Ophiopogon jaburans “variegate”).

A simple landscape work at the back lawn makes for another eye-catching feature. Polished slates of Piedra Pinoy stones are lined carefully to form a network of path walks in the garden. Since the lawn is very big, stone paths can well be accommodated. These are not only functional but decorative too.

At the edge of the lawn bordering the confines of the house is an assortment of ferns. Small varieties and giant types are placed together with other types of lush flora. The usual tropical ferns are either hung on tree trunks or positioned on the ground among the Kamuning (Murraya paniculata) and Picarra (Excoecaria cochinchinensis) shrubs and the Hong Kong Pandan (Pandanus pygmaeus) leaves. The giant types called Bird’s Nest Ferns (Asplenium nidus), with their extremely long and huge leaves, look majestic.  They’re rarely used in garden settings but as we noted, the garden of this Iloilo residence has so much space!

A hedge composed of Philodendron selloum is in full view from the living room overlooking the lanai.  They look like cheerful fans that greet your eyes, opening your eyes to a more spectacular view of the garden beyond. On certain spots of the garden, one can find the usual garden accents common to a Filipino home: a wooden bench and a statue of a religious icon. In most cases, it’s the image of St. Francis of Assisi who was known to be a nature lover.

Creating this garden was an exhilarating experience for us.  It made us want to build many more gardens such as this—a huge empty space to be filled with greens that will be nurtured by a favorable climate and a client whose passion for gardens equals ours. Rest assured, this garden is going to last for many years!

For more of your garden concerns and queries, email me at gardensbysanders@gmail.com