Colina Adorada: The Beloved Hill

Colina Adorada, or "the Beloved Hill," is Dory Bernabe’s private mini botanical garden just a few meters away from her weekend home in Pansol, Laguna, which this column featured in its last issue. This area encompasses about two hectares of beautifully landscaped rolling terrain, and contains, among others, Dory’s main collection of cacti and succulents, ferns, and other exotic species. This area also contains a small hill that overlooks Laguna Lake and has Mount Makiling as its background.

Dory’s son, Vice-Consul General Reggie Bernabe, describes the place: "The whole property is basically a mini orchard starting from giant and ancient mango trees, kaimito and santol trees, and numerous coconut, lemon and pomelo trees. Now almost fully grown and bearing fruit are lanzones, rambutan, guava, jackfruit, balimbing (starfruit), siniguelas, duhat, marang and rimas (breadfruit trees) and a few varieties of common and rare banana trees, and numerous papaya trees.

"There are also cashew, and even a few coffee trees. Even the walls were planted to passion fruit vines and the unusual hanging ube vines. However, almost one half of the property is a terraced landscaped area dedicated to ornamental plants both common and collector’s items. Set in the leveled part of the property near the entrance is the rest of Dory’s big collection of bonsai trees and bonsai materials. Set amid man-made ponds and a pavilion gazebo, the plants are grouped in sections.

"One section contains a rock-and-sand landscaped area for cacti and succulents, as well as her sansiviera and agave collections. In the pond are various water plants, reeds and lotuses. In another area are giant collector’s bromeliads that are sought after for their foliage. Under the fruit trees and terraced slopes are her collection of rare ferns in huge terra-cotta basins (blue ferns, snakeskin ferns, as well as giant tree ferns and giant staghorn ferns). Nearby is a collection of various diffenbacchias and aglonemas.

"On one side of the property, against the walls, is her collection of bamboo trees, including a giant black bamboo tree that’s almost a grove by itself. Another section features a collection of variegated plants, which includes ipil-ipil, fruit trees (chico, chesa, kalamansi, etc.), variegated ornamental plants – papuas, fishtail palm, hibiscus, etc.).

"From the ancient acacia trees and trellises are numerous native, both common and rare, Philippine orchids, as well as a few cattleyas, vandas and dendrobiums. Near the bamboo trees are several varieties of heliconias. On specially made trellises are Dory’s collection of various vines, such as the millionaires vines, numerous varieties of rare hoyas, jasmines, dama del dia, dama de noche, and numerous others."

While the membership of the Cactus and Succulent Society of the Philippines spent a good part of the day roaming around the entire two hectares that is Colina Adorada, I spent most of my time examining her landscaped cacti and succulents. Dory has these plants growing under the protection of fiberglass roofing to protect them against the rains. But she purposely located this desert garden in an area that probably receives the most direct sunlight.

To Dory Bernabe, Colina Adorada is a retreat, a sanctuary and therapy from the hustle and bustle of modern-day city living. Needless to say, she can’t be too far away from her Beloved Hill for too long.

Thanks, Dory, for sharing your wonderful gardens with us.

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E-mail the author at succulentophile@yahoo.com.