the couple loved the strong sense of
community at Stanley, and after a few
years they made the decision to buy in
Hong Kong rather than rent, which they
say is a “reflection of their long-term
commitment to reside in Hong Kong.”
Room for their three children – aged
seven, 10 and 12 years old – to roam
and play outdoors scored high on the
couple’s wish list. And so, when they
saw a beautiful, recently renovated
standalone house in Clearwater Bay with
garden and pool, beaches and hiking
trails in easy reach, they knew it more
than ticked all their boxes; in fact, they
found it inspirational. In 2009, the family
of five moved in and set out to create
their own version of dream living. In 2012,
they bought the two plots of bushland
surrounding their home, then with the
discovery that, not only did they have
a garden crammed full of fruit trees,
but the land’s original use was to supply
fruit (orange, starfruit and pomelo) to
the village. The couple opted out of
the possibility of what they describe as
‘meaningful development’, and instead
followed through with the preservation
of as many original fruit trees as possible.
Maintaining the garden has, as they
say, provided “character, shade, and
an endless supply of freshly squeezed
orange juice.”
Not long after they started working
on the garden, they realised that there
was not a lot of sun shining down on the
grassed areas they were planning, due
to the fact the hillside is covered with
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