UP ON THE ROOF
T
hree years ago when Hamner and Lucille Webb- Peploe moved into their 26th-floor penthouse with breathtaking views of Repulse Bay to the west and
untains and waterfalls to the east, the architect innocent suggested they turn the roof into a garden. The Webb-Peploes, who had a garden at their old place, liked the idea and hired landscape gardener Marc William to oversee the job. He said he hadn't done much planting at that height but would give it a try.
No one expected that the wind would be the master deci- sion maker, ultimately controlling both the purse strings and the choice of vegetation but its strength ruled supreme. After the wind tore through their first attempt the Webb-Peploes replanted a major portion of the garden and installed wind shields, a saving grace, around the entire perimeter.
Greenery has always been part of Lucille Webb-Peploe's environment. She grew up in the Netherlands amid abundant blooms. The garden at their previous Hong Kong home was so plentiful the Webb-Peploes always ate their own produce. Living without verdant earth was inconceivable to them and so, against unfavourable odds, they made their garden grow.
The expanse of this roof-garden is unparalleled, its end is never in sight. Beyond the glass wall of the living room is the outside bar area. Planters are filled with camellia, schefflera and sago palms. Juniper trees in dragon pots soften corners and assorted seasonal flowering plants add colour. Above the marble-topped bar, the wisteria-covered trellis extends out separating the terrace from the serpentine-shaped lawn which stretches into the distance.
Beyond the lawn, another bower, covered in virginia and firecracker creepers, acts as a gateway to the large terracotta terrace surrounded by mountains on two sides and the sea on another. This huge space- the borders of which are planted with hibiscus, laurel, jasmine and spider grass, highlighted by more dragon pots of juniper and sago palms- seems grander than a ballroom. Last autumn, the Webb-Peploes hosted a wedding reception for more than 100 guests here.
Off the dining room is another small roof terrace furnished with a breakfast table. Steps lead to a lawn edged with camellia, laurel croton and spider grass. At the far end, a thick wall of creeper grows up, looking centuries rather than three years old. The illusion of an English cottage garden is so strong, for a moment one forgets the modern high-rise beneath.
Although they love the garden, both Webb-Peploes are too busy to potter or sit in it for long. Hamner Webb-Peploe is managing director of Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd and Lucille Webb-Peploe is a horse enthusiast, out of the house most days by 5am to ride, train or teach riding to the mentally disabled and physically handicapped.
She admits the best times on the roof are spent with their three boys when they return during school break. "The boys love to throw a ball around or use it for their studies,” she says. "Up here nothing disturbs them.”
32 THE PEAK
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