Like many terrace houses, this one had a backyard that was all cement: hot in the afternoon, flooded after heavy rain and used only for the washing line. Hannah and Wei Jie wanted somewhere to sit outside, somewhere green for the children, and planting that would not need constant attention.
We hacked out the old cement, re-laid the drainage so storm water clears in minutes, and built a chengal timber deck under a young frangipani tree. A stepping-stone path winds through layered planting: ferns, calatheas, dwarf palms and gingers that stay green all year.
A drip irrigation system on a timer keeps everything watered in the dry spells, and warm, low lighting makes the courtyard usable long after sunset, when it is finally cool enough to sit outside.
