The brief was to create a garden on the edge of Lake Pupuke in Takapuna that provided access to the jetty and lake and looked appealing when viewed both from the clients’ house and decks and also when looking up from the jetty and lake.

The garden, which was constructed in 2007, also needed to retain the land’s natural contours and features, meet council regulations, have a subtropical planting theme and evolve into a lush oasis.

Natural terraces from the original farmhouse were retained and feature rocks revealed. We also wanted to create a sense of journey when walking through the garden. This has been achieved by using different textures and colours of subtropical and native planting as well as a Macrocarpa board walk which snakes its way down the original terraces. The garden was carefully constructed in a way that overcame any issues of restricted site access. In 2009 it featured in the movie “Under the Mountain”.