Gardens are gardens and there are a number I’ve seen, from a lowly vegetable garden in Los Baños that classifies as self-sustaining but that it bears the crispiest (yes!) eggplant I’ve ever eaten raw. It’s the smallest eggplant too, measuring less than an inch in diameter and about 3 inches in length.
Jardin de Miramar, situated in the cool and breezy city of Antipolo is a 3-hectare property owned by an aunt on my maternal side. In 14 years, she has transformed it into a museum of sorts and venues open to the public for all occasions, especially so because it has a Casa Santa, housing 2410 pieces of figurines, stuff toys, chess pieces, and life-size moving versions of Santa and Mrs. Santa singing Christmas carols and such. In Casa Santa, you get lost in dreams of what holds for you under the Christmas tree, young as you are or ageless in spirit. Folk architect Rosario Encarnacion Tan remodelled what used to be my aunt’s family vacation home into Santa and Mrs. Santa’s abode.
A few paces away from Casa Santa is Galera where M/V Angelica rests. The 50-year old boat is an authentic antique wooden fishing vessel reconstructed by Ral Arrogante and whose lighting design was done by Shoko Matsumoto. In the play area, there are also the lighthouse and pyramid tree strewn with mock fish and a net where children can frolic and play, maybe as pirates in the Carribean. To me though, Galera evokes a feeling of something like the movie, “Message in a Bottle.”
Further into Jardin is Intramuros, a romantic place for wedding receptions as it exudes a flavour of intimacy and as the name implies, it’s a replica of the Intramuros walls. There’s a small bridge where any newly-wed couple can enjoy being photographed and the hanging thunbergia vines provide a natural hide-and-seek if they’re in a playful mood or would rather be in an otherwise blissful event.
Newly built Sevilla is a ballroom that has radiant and masterfully created walls by body artist and muralist Alfred Galvez. It is ideal for a debut perhaps, with no less than a live band providing bombastic music. Imagine the debutante changing into a punk rock outfit or hip-hop, dancing the night away.
Jardin is accentuated with sculptures, for instance, at the entrance, two bronze life-size figurines of children by 2007 TOYM awardee Michael Cacnio play under a huge mango tree. There are other interesting pieces such as Fortune Bounty by National Heritage awardee Eduardo Castrillo, bigger than life La Novia de Jardin by the up and coming Daniel dela Cruz, and Subject of the Sublime by Bonifacio High Street’s Reg Yuson. Jardin is studded with plants in a landscape design by CCP Artist awardee Tony Leano. I can’t even begin to enumerate all those lovely plants.
My indefatigable aunt never ceases to awe me. She’s planning to launch a toy collectible Santa for 2009, and develop the lagoon area which used to be her nursery for water plants when she dabbled in the nursery business. All thumbs green and gold for my aunt!
Thanks to Tita Edna del Rosario for allowing me to “double take” the venues. Same goes to her staff.
Jardin de Miramar, situated in the cool and breezy city of Antipolo is a 3-hectare property owned by an aunt on my maternal side. In 14 years, she has transformed it into a museum of sorts and venues open to the public for all occasions, especially so because it has a Casa Santa, housing 2410 pieces of figurines, stuff toys, chess pieces, and life-size moving versions of Santa and Mrs. Santa singing Christmas carols and such. In Casa Santa, you get lost in dreams of what holds for you under the Christmas tree, young as you are or ageless in spirit. Folk architect Rosario Encarnacion Tan remodelled what used to be my aunt’s family vacation home into Santa and Mrs. Santa’s abode.
A few paces away from Casa Santa is Galera where M/V Angelica rests. The 50-year old boat is an authentic antique wooden fishing vessel reconstructed by Ral Arrogante and whose lighting design was done by Shoko Matsumoto. In the play area, there are also the lighthouse and pyramid tree strewn with mock fish and a net where children can frolic and play, maybe as pirates in the Carribean. To me though, Galera evokes a feeling of something like the movie, “Message in a Bottle.”
Further into Jardin is Intramuros, a romantic place for wedding receptions as it exudes a flavour of intimacy and as the name implies, it’s a replica of the Intramuros walls. There’s a small bridge where any newly-wed couple can enjoy being photographed and the hanging thunbergia vines provide a natural hide-and-seek if they’re in a playful mood or would rather be in an otherwise blissful event.
Newly built Sevilla is a ballroom that has radiant and masterfully created walls by body artist and muralist Alfred Galvez. It is ideal for a debut perhaps, with no less than a live band providing bombastic music. Imagine the debutante changing into a punk rock outfit or hip-hop, dancing the night away.
Jardin is accentuated with sculptures, for instance, at the entrance, two bronze life-size figurines of children by 2007 TOYM awardee Michael Cacnio play under a huge mango tree. There are other interesting pieces such as Fortune Bounty by National Heritage awardee Eduardo Castrillo, bigger than life La Novia de Jardin by the up and coming Daniel dela Cruz, and Subject of the Sublime by Bonifacio High Street’s Reg Yuson. Jardin is studded with plants in a landscape design by CCP Artist awardee Tony Leano. I can’t even begin to enumerate all those lovely plants.
My indefatigable aunt never ceases to awe me. She’s planning to launch a toy collectible Santa for 2009, and develop the lagoon area which used to be her nursery for water plants when she dabbled in the nursery business. All thumbs green and gold for my aunt!
Thanks to Tita Edna del Rosario for allowing me to “double take” the venues. Same goes to her staff.
Photos above are: Intramuros, Casa Santa, and bronze figurines under a mango tree by Cacnio.
1 comment:
Amazing. Alam ko hindi pwedeng kainin ang talong na raw. Apparently, mayroon pala!
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