Resort Landscaping for R-Escape Private Resort & Events Place, Tagaytay
We redesigned and rebuilt about 400 sqm of grounds for R-Escape Private Resort & Events Place in Maitim 2nd West, Tagaytay City. We built everything on this job ourselves: the poolside garden, the koi pond, the sunken firepit, the gazebo, and the stone steps that connect them.
Project facts
| Client | R-Escape Private Resort & Events Place |
|---|---|
| Location | Maitim 2nd West, Tagaytay City, Cavite |
| Property | Private resort and events venue |
| Landscaped area | About 400 sqm |
| Completed | 2023 |
| Duration | About 2 months |
| Scope | Poolside landscape, gazebo, sunken firepit, koi pond, grading, frog grass lawn, stone works and step pads, tropical planting |
| After turnover | 12 months of maintenance, with on-call quarterly garden refreshes |
The brief
The resort already had a garden. The owners wanted a better one, plus 2 new features for guests: a sunken firepit and a koi pond.
Partway through the build they added more to the order. They asked us to take on stone works and steps as well, so we folded those in before turnover.
What we built
Poolside garden. Tropical planting around the pool, so guests swim and lounge inside the garden instead of beside it.
Koi pond. We built the pond itself, which gives guests something to gather around during the day.
Sunken firepit. A seating area set below ground level for evenings. Tagaytay nights are cool enough that a firepit gets used.
Gazebo. We built a shaded spot for meals and small gatherings.
Stone works and step pads. The add-on order. Stone steps and step pads let guests move between areas without wearing a track through the grass.
Grading and lawn. We graded the grounds and laid frog grass, which keeps the lawn low maintenance between bookings.
The plants we used
| Plant | Why it’s here |
|---|---|
| Livistona chinensis (Chinese fan palm) | Fan-leaf palm for height and a resort look |
| Traveller’s palm | Large fan-shaped focal plant |
| Yucca tree | Upright, sculptural accent |
| Rhapis excelsa (lady palm) | Compact clumping palm for screening |
| Badjang (giant taro) | Big tropical foliage |
| Philodendron giganteum | Large-leaf tropical foliage |
| Selloum | Deeply cut leaves for texture |
| Calathea lutea | Broad upright leaves, good for backdrops |
| Mexican petunia | Purple flowers for color |
| Sinampaloc ferns | Fine-textured ferns that thrived in the cool Tagaytay air |
| Frog grass | Lawn |
Tagaytay’s elevation helped a lot. The city sits around 600 meters above sea level, which brings cooler days, cooler nights, and more moisture in the air than the lowlands get. Every plant we put in grew well, and the ferns did best of all.
The site is also far less windy than the coast, so large-leaf plants like badjang, traveller’s palm, and Philodendron giganteum could go out in the open. That’s what gives the grounds their full, layered resort look.
Keeping it guest-ready
A resort garden has to look good on every check-in, well past turnover day. The owners were happy with the result and kept us on afterward: 12 months of maintenance, with a garden refresh each quarter and visits on call when they needed us.
Planning a resort or rental property garden?
We design and build gardens for private resorts, events venues, and rental homes in Tagaytay, Cavite, Batangas, and Laguna, including the structures: koi ponds, firepits, gazebos, and stone works. Send us your site size and a few photos and we’ll reply with a plan and a quotation.
