ASQUITH 2077
Artist’s impression of the proposed planting
A modern terrace planting design.
Jasper Green
Status: Completed 2026.
Project facts
- Location: Asquith, Upper North Shore
- Space: east-facing apartment terrace of about 10 m², with a wider area for dining and a narrower area off the living room for seating
- Services: concept, working plans and planting plan
- Installed by: the owners
- Year: 2026
The brief
The terrace was empty, sterile and clinical. The owners wanted life and greenery they could see from inside and enjoy in every season, with planting that would also give them some privacy from the buildings around them.
What shaped it
- Light: direct sun in the morning only, then light reflected off the surrounding buildings for the rest of the day.
- Neighbouring buildings: close enough to overlook the terrace, and part of the reason the light is limited.
- Wind, weight and waterproofing: everything grows in pots, which have to stay within what the slab can carry, sit safely in the wind and leave the waterproofing untouched.
- Access: every plant, pot and piece of furniture had to come up through the building.
Key decisions
1. Tropical foliage for low light. A few hours of morning sun followed by reflected light rules out most sun-loving plants. Tropicals that grow naturally under a forest canopy cope with these conditions and stay green all year, so the terrace looks alive from inside even in winter. The palette includes variegated Shell Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet ‘Variegata’), Urn Plant (Aechmea fasciata), Lady Palm (Rhaphis excelsa) and Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica). The trade-off: foliage and texture were favoured over seasonal flowers. Golden cane palms (Dypsis lutescens) give height for privacy and enclosure, at the expense of bolder structural foliage.
2. Simple white pots with a linear form. They let the plants be the feature and sit quietly when viewed from the owners’ mid-century styled interior, and one consistent style ties the two parts of the terrace together. The trade-off: a strongly linear style suits the space now, but could date faster than a plainer form.
3. Dining where there is room to move. The table sits in the wider part of the terrace, leaving space to walk around it and between inside and out, while the narrow strip off the living room is kept for lounge seating. The trade-off: less flexibility and reduced potential for multi-functional use of the space.
Result
A terrace that was bare and unused is now green from every window, with a place to eat and a place for reading and morning coffee, and planting that softens the view of the neighbouring buildings.
“Damian really took the time to understand what we wanted and how we planned to use the space, and came up with some fantastic recommendations for all aspects of the design, and every suggestion worked so well together.”
Paul (Homeowner)
Gallery
All images are artist’s impressions of the proposed garden. ©2026 Jasper Green Designs.
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