so close yet so far

When I realized that in most cases, landscape architecture is so much limited and constrained by building architecture, I was very disappointed with the local landscape industry. 

Be it residential, commercial or industrial landscape, we were merely given the left over spaces to do planting infill, primarily to comply with authority’s requirements.   Tied with extremely limited budget, there is hardly any design exercise.  

The most promising one could be the resorts and golf courses landscape, however international resort chains and golf courses usually opt for international landscape consultants, for that could be their selling point.

You might be thinking that at least there are some highway and road side planting, or open spaces and public parks at our disposal.  Besides that the chances are getting rare, our third class maintenance culture is indirectly limiting the planting design at these areas.  Cutting grass is already a burden to the authorities, what more to maintain the ornamental plants?

When the global architecture is talking about sustainability, aiming at achieving low energy or zero carbon architecture, the local landscape industry is keen at planting foreign high maintenance plants, imported from as far as Australia.  Green wall is never the choice for our maintenance culture, not to mention that we just could not afford to maintain such expensive wall.