A Courtyard Garden

This garden unfolds across three distinct zones, each designed to maximise greenery, intimacy, and connection within a tight footprint. At the heart of the home, a courtyard garden opens directly from the kitchen, part of a new extension thoughtfully and beautifully designed by the homeowners, architect Mark Leong and ceramicist and interior designer Lucy Coote of Studio Myla. From the outset, we worked closely with Mark and Lucy to ensure the landscape reflected their style and aesthetic, acknowledged the architectural language at use, and supported the central role the courtyard would play in the new pavilion.

Curved edges were introduced to ensure depth of planting was allowed for when viewed through the large glass doors, while creating gentle corners for a built-in seat and an open zone for a table, fire pit, or additional seating. These curves allow for moments of dwelling that feel nestled and comfortable, whether alone or as a family, while also supporting flow and overlapping zones during larger gatherings.

Five ribbonwoods provide vertical structure without blocking light, framing a lush understorey of flowering woodland species, native ground covers, and ferns. The planting is designed to offer a rich green outlook year-round, with layered textures and seasonal variation.

At the front, the garden sits beneath the bedroom’s bay windows, where burgundy Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’ trees echo the deep reds used inside the home. These sculptural trees help frame and scale the villa’s façade, tying into a palette of pink, purple, and blue perennials set within a soft evergreen base of native grasses and ground covers.

Above, the roof terrace is planted with hardy native grasses and flaxes, chosen for their ability to thrive in the exposed conditions and to soften the architectural edges of the home’s upper level. Together, these layers create a garden that is both grounded and elevated, intimate and expansive.