Tropical Gardens of the Philippines compiles some of the most beautiful gardens in the world today. The book showcases 42 gardens, mostly from private homes around the metropolitan Manila area and nearby provinces such as Laguna, Batangas, and Cavite.
TROPICAL GARDENS OF THE PHILIPPINES By Lily Gamboa O’ Boyle and Elizabeth V. Reyes Photographer: Luca Invernizzi Tettoni 224 pages ISBN 978-0-8048-4154-2 Available at Asia Books
From traditional to contemporary styles, it explores the root of the Philippine's topiary by showing a mixture of influences from both the Oriental and Western world dating before the Spanish arrivals in the 16th century, when ornamental horticulture in the Philippines was non-existent and plants were grown mainly for food and medicinal purposes.
The book also introduces some famous landscape designers, whether it be Jerry Aros, who is known for his earth-friendly approach by designing dynamic, self-sustaining gardens with complicated water systems using natural elements to convey his personal philosophies, or the French botanist Patrick Blanc, whose work at the Muse'e du Quai Branly has caused many visitors to stop dead in their tracks with his cascading plants.
With a mixture of the American's love of open spaces and the Japanese's plantsmanship, the Philippine's diverse tropical climate and cultural assimilation is home to many unique styles of gardening.
The spectacular hillside setting features wide well-tended lawns, lush ornamental borders and airy views.
White Cattleyas decorate one side of the spacious lanai.
A striking Dracaena arborea dominates a corner of the indoor court garden that is tightly planted with Bromeliads, Anthuriums and Philodendrons.
A giant staghorn fern, Platycerium grande, hangs from a branch. Coveted for its amazing size and form, it can grow to one metre in width.
A bed of Neoregelia and miniature Sansevieria highlights the contrast between the two specimens.
A variety of green and silver ground covers weaves and hugs the stone wall and boulders in the sidewalk garden.
Vrieseas, native to South America, are a recent introduction to the Philippines; A Bromeliad, they are named after the Dutch botanist Willem Hendrik DeVriese.
Anthuriums are native to Columbia and have been successfully grown in many parts of the Philippines. Their flowers develop crowded in a spike on a fleshy axis, called a spadix.
