Designing Your Dream Backyard: How a Tauranga Landscape Consultant Can Help

Your outdoor living space is an extension of your home, and renovating it requires just as much attention as an indoor renovation. Our experienced Landscape Consultants will help take your Tauranga backyard from drab to fab with a beautifully curated landscape design. Get in touch with a Landscape Consultant today and embark on the journey towards your dream outdoor oasis.

What are some landscape designs in Tauranga?

There are many options in Tauranga when it comes to landscape design due to the region’s temperate climate and stunning natural beauty. Tauranga landscaping projects tend to involve coastal themes, water features, outdoor living spaces, and shade structures, to name a few.

Coastal themes play well into Tauranga landscape designs. Seashells, driftwood, and stones make beautiful decor. Add some greenery with native coastal plants like seaside daisies, flax, kowhai, and pohutukawa, which are easy to maintain, and enhance your coastal landscape design. Citrus also grow well in the Bay’s sunny climate, so you might consider planting orange, lemon, or lime trees.

Water features add a relaxing, spa-like feel to your landscape. Add bubbling fountains or tranquil ponds to your Tauranga garden design for a serene space. Arrange your outdoor living area amongst your water features as a place to relax or entertain friends and family.

Sunny weather in this region means shade structures are a must for residential landscaping in Tauranga. Louvre roofing, pergolas, and shade sails are a few of the options to add shade and character to your space.

Your Tauranga Landscaping Consultant will work with you through a multi-step design and build process that’s tailored to your property and budget.

How can a Tauranga Landscape Consultant help me?

The Zones experience revolves around a 5-step process that makes it easy to keep timelines and budgets on track.

First, your Tauranga Landscape Consultant will meet with you to discuss your ideas and offer inspiration. Your Landscape Consultant will then assess the feasibility of your ideas in the realms of your property and provide you with a cost estimate. 

Once you agree upon a detailed design, you’ll receive a fixed quote and timeline of your project. You’ll also be informed of any necessary council consent requirements. From there, it’s time to build! Your Landscaping Consultant will source the finest contractors and suppliers in Tauranga and manage the team to ensure your project is completed on schedule and to budget. They’ll keep you informed every step of the way, as clear communication is a pillar of the process.

Before you know it, your outdoor space will be ready to enjoy for years to come.

How to design a landscape garden

Before you start planning, you’ll want to consider Tauranga’s climate, native plant species, and the unique characteristics of your property. Here are a few steps to follow as a starting guide:

1. Determine Your Goals: What is the purpose of your garden? Will it be a place to relax, entertain, grow fruits and vege, or all the above?
2. Decide Your Style: Will you have a specific theme for your space? For instance, does a coastal theme appeal or maybe an edible garden theme, or perhaps a general resort-like design.
3. Pick Your Plants: Tauranga’s mild climate makes this part fun and creative. You might choose to plant native flora, citrus trees, exotic plants, or a few of each. Think about planting hearty species for a low maintenance landscape.
4. Consider Hard Landscaping: Take a look at your space and decide how you’d like to divide the area to make room for all the features you envision being a part of your landscape. Hard landscaping features, like retaining walls, are also essential to create clean, level areas.

Your Landscaping Consultant will be well-informed about the specific conditions in Tauranga to ensure your home’s landscape design works with your property and that your plants thrive in their environment.

Features to boost your home’s value with landscaping

Landscaping not only enhances the visual appeal of your property’s backyard - or front yard for that matter; it also has the potential to increase your home’s value. Here are some unique landscaping features that add a wow-factor for potential homebuyers:

Native Flora: Plants native to New Zealand, such as manuka, pohutukawa, flax, and kowhai, add a sense of connection to the surrounding environment. Landscape management is key when it comes to reselling your property, so be sure to keep your plants well-maintained by weeding and fertilizing.

Decks and Patios: Outdoor living spaces can offer both style and functionality. Treat your outdoor space like another highly-coveted living room in your home!

Outdoor Lighting: Create an ambience at night with outdoor lighting. Well-placed lights help distinguish key features in your garden and provide a safe, well-lit environment. 

Outdoor Kitchens: An alfresco cooking and dining area can be a huge selling point for your home. Nothing beats an outdoor summer BBQ!

Privacy: This is where hard landscaping comes in. Stone walls, fences, and trellises can add attractive features to your outdoor space as well as privacy.

Your Landscaping Consultant will help you identify the best features that suit your property. They’ll also have advice for local Tauranga landscaping services should you need a garden tidy up.

Things to consider when implementing a landscape design

Before the work begins, it’s important to consider a few key factors. First, the topography of your property. The hilly terrain in Tauranga might mean you need retaining walls or other hard landscaping features to even out the area and make your yard cohesive. You’ll also want to think about sunlight, as this could affect the kinds of plants you choose and their placement on your property.

In addition, you might want to think about an irrigation system, since Tauranga’s climate can be hot and dry. This will ensure your garden stays hearty and healthy without relying on rainfall. 

If you have a view, you’ll want your landscape design to act as the frame that enhances the view instead of blocking it. Luckily, your Landscape Consultant will be armed with all of the knowledge, advice, and considerations you need to make your outdoor space spectacular.

Cool-to-have features you can add to your landscape design

Put a personal touch on your landscape with a choice of novel features. Create a garden sanctuary with water features such as fountains, ponds, or even streams to add a luxe feel. Incorporate mindfulness into your design with a Japanese-inspired zen garden.

If you enjoy art, sculpture gardens, murals, or other pieces of outdoor art can add a creative element to your space. Another way to add pops of color is with a bright tile mosaic.

For the entertainers, swinging daybeds add a resort-like touch while adding extra seating. Make your backyard a social hub with a fire pit or pizza oven. Your Landscaping Consultant can recommend unique features that fit your design goals.

How much does landscape design cost in New Zealand?

The cost to bring your landscape design to life varies greatly depending on specific factors, such as the size and location of your property, the features you choose to add, and the materials used. Basic landscaping for a small outdoor area usually sits between $1,500 and $15,000*. Mid-sized landscaping with a larger area or additional features can cost $15,000 to $50,000*. Large projects can cost between $50,000 and $150,000 or more* for a large space and premium features, like spas and outdoor kitchens.

And finally, you’ll have to consider the price for landscape designers. This can range from $50 to $150* per hour or more depending on your location and the expertise of the designer.

*Costs are rough estimates and are subject to change. For a fixed-quote accurate to your specific project, please consult your local Zones Landscaping Consultant.

How long would a landscape design take to implement in Tauranga?

The time it takes to complete your Tauranga landscape project depends on its size and complexity. Most smaller projects require a few weeks, while large-scale projects can take several months or even a year.

Rest assured, at Zones we do our best to keep the work separate from your living space so you can maintain your lifestyle throughout the duration of the project, no matter its size.

Let’s chat!

Ready to design your dream backyard? The Landscaping Consultants at Zones are experts at completing all kinds of home landscaping projects and we offer a free, no-obligation, consultation. Get in touch with us today to talk about your Tauranga landscape design ideas.