Field notes from the studio — what we've learned designing gardens for the way Singapore actually lives, weathers and grows.
The most common mistake we untangle is a garden chosen from a temperate-climate magazine. Singapore asks different questions — sustained heat, sudden downpours, intense glare — and the plants that answer them well are not always the ones in the inspiration folder. We start every palette from what genuinely thrives here, then earn the moments of drama.
A sky terrace is a wonderful thing and an honest commitment. Wind dries planters faster, exposure stresses foliage, and access for maintenance has to be designed in, not bolted on. We always set out the real upkeep rhythm before we draw a single planter — because a beautiful roof that nobody can maintain is just a problem at altitude.
Small spaces are harder, not easier. With twelve square metres every plant has to earn its place and the wind at height punishes a hopeful choice. The reward is intimacy — a balcony, well edited, can change how an entire apartment feels. It is some of our favourite work, and our most accessible package.
Paving, timber, stone and edging set the bones of a garden long before the planting fills in. Get the materials right — how they weather, how they drain, how they feel underfoot in the wet — and the green has a frame worth growing into. We bring physical samples to every developed-design meeting for exactly this reason.