A sanctuary for nature and garden buffs

Ayala Land, Inc. recently organized a garden fair at Ayala Hillside Estates, its latest residential subdivision in Quezon City. The 22-hectare development near top universities and schools was a most appropriate venue for this gathering of plant and garden accessory retailers.

Exhibitors at the garden fair offered lot owners and potential investors new ideas in landscaping and accessorizing with plants. They drew inspiration from the varied landscapes offered by the subdivision originally carved from the original Capitol Hills Golf and Country Club. Exhibitors included: Mett’s Plant Art, Purification Orchids, Florera of Betty Duterte, Clean Craft and Custom Clay.

Ayala Hillside Estates is one of the rare properties in Quezon City that offers scenic views and wide, open spaces. "It’s a nature retreat and the perfect setting for a garden," according to projec manager Thomas Mirasol.

Retailers at the garden fair were surprised to see that butterflies and wild flowers serve as accents to the landscape. They also very much appreciated the mature trees with full crowns that Ayala Land has tried to preserve, moving only those trees that would affect the safety rating of the subdivision’s roadways. At one of the village entrances, for instance, an unexpected rotunda of kalachuchi trees greets the visitors. In bloom, the trees very much capture the character of the development. Essentially, Ayala Hillside retains the best of nature while incorporating new trends in subdivision development.

The guests invited by officers of Ayala Land Sales Inc. were toured around the subdivision to better appreciate the resort-like setting within city limits. Ayala Hillside Estates offers vistas of a lake, rolling golf fairways, mountains and cityscapes in the distance. No wonder lots in the current phase were briskly taken up.

Dwindling lot inventory has prompted Ayala Land to prepare still another phase to be opened to the public in May. The new phase will be in the heart of the subdivision and will offer a panorama of rolling golf greens on the approach to the new section. "Imagine going through such a vista everyday on the way home," observed Mirasol.

He explains that the original golf course was converted itno a residential area and a more compact golf course with a fresh layout. Both components were designed to complement each other, he says. Many lots have the fairways as their backyard and the view for golfers will certainly be made more interesting with the elegant homes that are expected to rise in the area.

He emphasizes nevertheless that residential area and golf course are completely independent of one another and have separate access routes. This means that privacy for both communities will be preserved.

Infrastructure at Ayala Hillside Estates also take into consideration its picturesque setting. Utility lines for telephone and electricity have been buried underground so views remain unmarred by unsightly cables. Unlike your usual subdivision that is laid out in a grid, lots are organized into pocket neighborhoods connected by a main road. This way most areas remain free from thru traffic – a benefit that translates to better security and more privacy for lot owners.

For more details, call 848-500 or log on to www.ayalaland.com.ph.