A lawn, a grill and a long evening

Orchid began as a patch of grass shaded by old trees. We built a timber bar at the edge of it, lit the branches with festoon lights, and let the garden set the pace.

The kitchen leans on fire: skewers, flatbreads warmed on the grill, vegetables charred until sweet. Everything green comes from growers around Lilongwe, and what we cannot use the same week is jarred and shelved in the pantry next door.

Afternoons are for coffee by the window. Evenings belong to the cocktails — mint muddled to order, ice crushed by hand, and a table that nobody is asked to leave.