It seems it was only a short time ago when we got hold of this wonderful Orchard, but it has been actually eight months since the property was turned over to us.
Since August 2020, we have been building structures to make the Orchard a better place to stay in and enjoy the surrounding greenery. The Covid-19 situation somewhat slowed down our pace of development (tough to move around and procure materials), but we are steadily moving forward nonetheless. We hope to complete the major structures before Christmas this year.
(Please click the photos to see the larger versions.)
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The front portion of the Orchard as it appeared on August 19, 2020. The old storage shed (also serving as caretaker's quarters) in the center is yet to be be demolished. Sadly, we had no choice but to cut a couple of mango trees to have enough space for the farmhouse.
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| This is from April 10, 2021, from the same general vantage point as the first photo. The old storage shed was already demolished, leaving only the temporary toilet intact (this will be demolished too in a couple of weeks, as a new toilet has been built elsewhere). Our elevated water tank is now up and running, the garage/storage building is finished, construction of the farmhouse is in full swing and a gravel driveway to the garage is completed. Not shown is the new house of our caretaker which is located in the northern tip of the property. |
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The almost completed new quarters of the caretaker photographed on October 10, 2020 - only the jalousie windows and electrical connection were yet to be installed. It has one bedroom, a toilet and bath, as well as a cozy kitchen/dining/living area.
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The garage/storage building as seen from the rear side - it has parking space for three cars, a toilet and bath, and two storage rooms (with A/C units) that can be alternative guestrooms. Note the gently sloping terrain and the gravel driveway.
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We have planted bougainvilleas at the space between the garage and the fence fronting the roadside to serve as privacy hedge. This hedge will replace the old bamboo cladding that is already disintegrating.
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| A perspective view of the garage/storage building. Later, a rain-harvesting system will be installed at the gutter downspouts then connected to a concrete cistern downhill. The roofs of the garage and the farmhouse will be both utilized as rain catchment systems. With a combined roof area of about 390 square meters, a mere one inch of
rainfall can produce almost 10 cubic meters (50 barrels at 200 liters)
of clean water, a very valuable resource in the hilly Maambal area. The
concrete cistern will be located near the highest point of the Orchard,
and water can flow to the lower parts by gravity via cheap PVC pipes.
The elevation drop from the highest part of the property to the lowest
part is at least 8 meters, over a horizontal distance of nearly 200
meters. | |
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T-Rex (that's its nickname) is a 1-tonner mini excavator that we will use later in developing the garden and in small digging jobs at the Orchard. It is powered by a single cylinder 500 cc diesel engine, and its tiny bucket can scoop 0.025 cubic meter (almost a cubic foot) of materials in one stroke.
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Aside from the standard bucket, T-Rex has an assortment of attachments that will be quite useful in various jobs around the Orchard. The five-bladed rake will be excellent for soil cultivation, the auger will make digging holes for fencing posts a breeze, and the hydraulic breaker will make it easier to demolish old concrete structures.
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The 3-BR farmhouse is taking shape in this April 10, 2021 photo. Again, the gently sloping terrain of the Orchard is easily noticeable.
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This April 10, 2021 photo shows the fruiting mango tree in front of the garage. Construction materials are stored in one parking bay, while the mini excavator (with cover) is parked in the center bay.
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A closer view of the low-hanging mangoes in front of the garage.
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