Making the most of small outdoor living spaces - a backyard transformation in Panmure

When Zones Landscaping Specialist Kate Ryan commenced the back yard make-over of a Panmure home, she was given a head start by her clients: they knew how they wanted the space to look when finished and they supplied her with a landscape plan and layout.

Regardless of the size, a complete landscaping make-over can make for a complex project and, in the case of a property in Auckland’s eastern suburb of Panmure, there were a number of elements that needed to be brought together.

“The brief involved taking out an old deck, laying paving in place of the original concrete, adding steps from the house to the paved area, installing a Buschbeck outdoor fireplace and pizza oven, and putting in a macrocarpa leaner bench adjacent to the kitchen."
- Kate, Landscaping specialist

The new landscape design

The pictures tell the story; a cramped backyard space with difficult access to the house, but one that offered Kate and her team real scope to demonstrate their skills. As Kate explains; “The brief involved taking out an old deck, (the ‘old deck’ had in fact been relocated from the front of the house and while it served the intended purpose of covering the concrete, had never sat happily in the space at the rear), laying paving in place of the original concrete, adding steps from the house to the paved area, installing a Buschbeck outdoor fireplace and pizza oven, and putting in a macrocarpa leaner bench adjacent to the kitchen.”

And it didn’t end there. She says the project also included installing a spa, replacing the existing terracotta-toned tiles around the pool and repaving the area to match the more modern looking newly laid pavers, removing the old pool shed, and sourcing a modern pool pump and heater cover that was functional and good to look at.

No pressure then. “The area is a narrow one so we needed to get the look right. I recommended a paving colour which toned with the exterior colour of the house, immediately making the space look bigger.” Keeping the steps and garden bed - both of which were edged with solid macrocarpa sleepers - in proportion, made a statement and also helped create a perception of greater space.

“The greatest proportion of the budget went on paving. There was a lot involved in preparing the area – getting the surface level and adjusting the slope from the pool area, then adding a new step to even it out and make it look more modern with clean lines.”
- Kate, landscaping specialist

In spite of the proximity to neighbouring houses – the property is situated up a right-of-way - the section is fenced and private and access was not a problem for those delivering materials or working on the site, “But with a shared driveway it’s always important to consider the neighbours,” says Kate.

An all-inclusive landscaping cost

Initially, Kate’s clients had allocated a budget of around $20,000, however, the decision to replace the paving around the pool meant revisiting this.  She says they worked with them on this in order to complete the project. “The greatest proportion of the budget went on paving. There was a lot involved in preparing the area – getting the surface level and adjusting the slope from the pool area, then adding a new step to even it out and make it look more modern with clean lines.”

The final result

Auckland’s unpredictable weather notwithstanding, the project was done and dusted within three weeks. “The weather was changeable but the guys worked through it with occasional rainy days not stopping them.” And, once Kate’s team had completed rebuilding the Panmure back yard the owners were able to add the finishing touches with their own planting design for the area – one which included feature tubs and plenty of colour.