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The clients wanted a calm, low-maintenance retreat in the heart of the city — a 1,400 sq ft courtyard that had been paved over decades ago and forgotten.
We approached the project as landscape architects first and gardeners second: every decision was about how the space would feel at 7am with morning light, at 1pm under the harsh sun, and at 7pm with the lanterns lit.
Design intent
The plan introduces a single signature water bowl cut from a single block of basalt. From it, a path of staggered stepping stones drifts through a Dichondra lawn toward a shaded reading nook under a clumping bamboo canopy. The planting is layered — Ficus and Areca in the upper storey, dwarf schefflera and calathea in the middle, and a groundcover of mosses and selaginella where the shade is deepest.
What we planted
- Upper canopy: Ficus benghalensis (cluster), clumping bamboo (Bambusa multiplex), Alstonia scholaris
- Mid layer: Areca palm, dwarf schefflera, Calathea lutea, Philodendron 'Xanadu'
- Ground layer: Dichondra repens, Ophiopogon japonicus, moss panels, selaginella
- Accent: Staghorn fern mounted on basalt, autograph tree (Clusia rosea), three custom corten-steel planters with seasonal colour
Engineering & irrigation
Sub-soil drainage was rebuilt with a 200mm gravel layer and geotextile membrane. Drip irrigation is zoned by plant water need (xeric, mesic, hydric) and runs off a single 1″ main with a pressure-compensating emitter grid. A 4,500-litre underground tank collects roof runoff and supplies the irrigation pump.
Maintenance plan
The garden is on our Garden Care Plan: 12 horticulturist visits per year, monthly seasonal rotation of colour, quarterly fertilization, and a pest-monitoring subscription. The bamboo is contained with a root barrier and trimmed twice a year to maintain the canopy's translucency.
Outcome
Two years on, the courtyard has become the family's primary living space from October to March. The water bowl attracts seven species of birds. The clumping bamboo has grown to its full height of 6m and the Dichondra lawn has knitted into a soft, walkable surface that requires no mowing.
