Garden design projects

Urban rescue

This homeowner was dismayed to find the mess left in her backyard after a tradesman had installed new steps to the back door. The reason for installing a box filled with rubble remains mysterious, and distressing for the owner.  I assured her it was fixable, and while I was there I designed a simple renovation of the front area as well.  

Design solutions
  • The box at the back was filled and paved to create a patio, with an overhead plane minimally defined with an asymmetric pergola structure.
  • Raised garden beds fulfilled the client's great wish for a vegetable garden.
  • Feijoa and camellia hedges will provide privacy for the patio area when they gain some height.
  • At the front a new path defines a new garden area, for which the client chose standard roses.
  • Paving integrates the deck with the lawn and path. 
  • Screens planted with Trachelospermum jasminoides (Star Jasmine) provide partial separation from the driveway and a hidden corner for bins.

The construction work for this garden was carried out by Buildscape Construction

Backyard renovation

The site was a graveled wasteland, just as the builders left it. A transformation was required into a pleasant entryway to the back of the house, with a defined space for visitor parking screened from the house. The area had to be retained as a corridor for the quad bike and for people to get to and from the garage and the vegetable gardens and clothes line. 

Design solutions
  • A longer, gentle and elegant flight of steps replaces overly steep chunky steps.
  • A curved fence of macrocarpa posts defines the parking space, and creates a visual barrier from the house. The curve and the slope of the macrocarpa fence match the curve and slope of the existing fence.  
  • The macrocarpa posts have weathered to grey, blending with the greys and black of the concrete, the retaining walls and the buildings.
  • The site slopes from the garage toward the house. Gardens along the edge of the retaining wall and a pebbled area between the concrete and the existing fence maximise permeability and reduce run-off.
  • Planting has been kept simple and bold, using Coprosma "Black Cloud" as a groundcover and Phormium “Yellow Wave” for height. 

Lifestyle property

This renovated villa was sitting in a sloped, grassed area with very little definition of spaces.  Water drained toward the house creating a moat in heavy rain.  The owner wanted a new concrete driveway; a sense of organisation and control around the house; clear transitions from the immediate area around the house to the larger site; and to be able to move around outside without wearing gumboots. Her intention at first was to improve the garden in preparation for selling, but once the new design was implemented she fell in love with the house all over again and stayed.  Photos to the right show the house and garden all dressed up for the owner's recent wedding ceremony.

Design solutions:
  • Boardwalks and paved paths provide ease of movement around the house and define outdoor living areas and gardens.  The boardwalks float over the changes in levels and although additional drainage was installed resolve the problems of damp ground.
  • The boardwalks are constructed from the same size timber as the old verandah, contributing a to sense of unity with the house.
  • A paved patio area links the veranda of the house to the garden.
  • Picket fences provide separation between the house and areas for orchards, vegetable gardening and children's play.
  • Planting is very simple, using massed native shrubs, grasses and rushes - easy care for a busy family.
Buildscape Construction implemented the design for this property.

Steep small city garden
The owner of this small city garden wanted access from the deck of the upper storey of the house, more level vegetable garden area, and a planting plan designed to be both walked through and looked down upon.

Design solutions:
  • A timber stairway descending from the deck hides the ugly old concrete block wall.
  • A series of steps and landings provide access down the site.  The steps are filled with mulch so that they will blend into the planting when it is completed.  The landings provide a series of little destinations and contrast when looking down from the deck.
  • A pergola runs along the bottom of the site to provide a structure for growing climbers and some screening from the neighbours below.
Buildscape installed this garden.

Country courtyard
The clients had undertaken a major renovation of a small cottage on a lifestyle block, and now wanted a courtyard area for entertaining.  They also wanted an outdoor bath.  Overall they wanted a sense of enclosure but to still be connected to the countryside beyond.  They didn't want a large area of concrete or pavers.

Design solutions:
  • A large pergola occupies the central area.  The climber Tecomanthe speciosa will provide shade in due course.
  • The ground plane is a series of large concrete pads, poured in situ, with planting in-between.  This turned out to be a lovely compromise between an unbroken spread of concrete and the detail of pavers.
  • The outdoor bath is partially screened for a sense of privacy.
  • Eventually a hedge of Choisya ternata will provide separation between the courtyard and the space beyond without obscuring the view. 
  • The water feature is round farm water trough providing a nice connection to the site's rural context.