Family English Terrace Garden in Remuera, Auckland

This property stands proudly in its beautiful leafy suburb, Remuera. As the homeowners had intentionally purchased to renovate, they were thrilled to be finally upgrading their backyard. 

Initially, the space was covered in bamboo - so much that it was hard to see the ground. The homeowners took care of this themselves before contacting Zones Landscaping for assistance.

Right away, they got chatting with Kate Ryan, their local Landscaping Specialist. Bringing decades of experience, they trusted her in handling the re-establishment of their family home’s landscaping and soon launched the project.

Blending English with Kiwi

Coming from England, the homeowners didn’t want to lose the integrity of an English garden. They wanted a landscape that could merge their English heritage with modern kiwi characteristics. This objective was vital for them, alongside making the most of the outdoor space.

Kate began by taking a look at their landscape. It was expansive with excellent daytime light and entirely cleared out of any previous fixtures. She was thrilled to come across this blank canvas as it gave countless opportunities to create.

Planning the concept took a while. This timing wasn’t because of the endless design possibilities, but rather as there were many other elements to coordinate. To achieve the English garden influence, they had to choose an array of planting. And additionally, both homeowners were busy with their full-time jobs and ongoing interior renovations.

Together, these aspects extended the design process, which ended up delivering the perfect plan for the Remuera property. Kate assessed the budget and timeline using these detailed drawings and eventually came to a cost of $95,000 paired with a 10-week timeline. Happy with this quote, the homeowners approved the project and it started as soon as possible.

The Terraced Lawn

As the property had a sloping backyard, building a terraced lawn was the perfect solution to utilise the landscape. This task proved a challenge during construction as winter was near and made it hard to work with the soil. They needed to keep as much as possible, so for a solution, the builders added metal to hold the soil.

Once the team perfected the levelling, it was time to install the fixtures. At the bottom, they constructed a contemporary patio with a mixture of large pavers and pebbles. These light tones continued in the steps leading up the terraced lawn; using macrocarpa wood for the framing and pebbles to fill it in.

Two final features worth noting are the charming pergola and raised vegetable beds. Situated at the top of the terraced lawn, they provide beautiful form and function while sharing an extravagant view of the home and gardens beneath.

Flowers & Trees

Plants and trees were arguably the most crucial element of the entire project. Not only did they need to be selected carefully but also placed correctly. 

The planting design planned for an assortment of plants and trees that would give colour all year round. Chosen was a mix of hydrangeas, roses, anemones, thyme, lavender, and native evergreen shrubs; hebes and pittosporum.

And to polish off the British garden feel? Fruitful and fragrant trees! The homeowners opted for a variety of citrus trees, colourful magnolias and prunus felix jury which bloom with beautiful pink blossoms in the Spring.

Would you like to discuss your landscaping ideas?

Get in touch for a free consultation with your local Landscaping Specialist.