Gardens

Creating a child-friendly garden was a priority for this Auckland couple Ben and Kylie Crawford’s lawn used to be a problem. They’d try growing grass but it would burn off in summer and the ground would become waterlogged in winter. The solution? Easy-to-maintain artificial turf that can be used by their sons, Huxley and Mylo, […]

In Greek mythology, Iris was the goddess of rainbows and like its romantic namesake, these tall, elegant blooms come in a multitude of colours I would like to say that all irises are beautiful, but they are not. Given the genus contains up to 300 species, that is hardly surprising. Despite often being called the […]

Once lacking life and vibrancy, this inner-city Auckland garden has been turned into a subtropical sanctuary with a subtle Asian sensibility Among the many beautiful architecturally designed homes and gardens that line the streets around Auckland’s inner-city, there’s a special set of trees that grab the attention of passers-by. The graceful trunks and cloud-pruned foliage […]

Flora fanatic Dylan Norfield has transformed a gorse-covered Blueskin Bay site into a wonderland of rare and interesting plants Like many gardeners, Dylan Norfield has an addiction – an addiction to plants, that is. It’s hardly surprising, considering his parents ran a nursery and his job is managing the plant collections at Dunedin Botanic Garden. […]

No more mud, no more mowing. A total backyard redesign has given this family exactly what they wanted – a garden that almost takes care of itself When planning renovations it pays to think about your landscaping requirements at the same time. Leaving it until afterwards, as often happens, can result in access problems for […]

This nurse-turned-designer wanted a garden that offered privacy and poolside fun for her family as well as biodiversity for birds and bees Meet + greet Louise Hanlon, (landscape designer), her husband Nick, Maxim, 18, Scarlett, 14, plus Monty the dog. Nursing and landscape design may seem like two very different professions but for Auckland-based designer […]

A little digger and some clever ideas have produced a magical tropical garden with year-round colour and the cutest morning coffee spot When the scale of a landscaping project is too big to handle, it makes sense to call in the professionals. That’s what Helen Dewsnap and Geoff Watson did when they decided to revamp […]

Ten years of hard work by this green-fingered gardener and her handy husband have transformed an empty Marlborough paddock into an abundant and blooming garden fit for a king – and hordes of garden-loving visitors It’s considered a great honour to have your garden selected for Garden Marlborough, a renowned garden tour that has taken […]

Garden editor, Carol Bucknell, tells us about her own garden and shares her top five plants every beginner gardener should consider YH&G gardens editor Carol Bucknell has been with us since 1994, when ruched blinds, bullnose benchtops and coloured windows were all the rage. We asked her how she became a gardening guru and how […]

This mid-century home’s garden was overdue for a modern update. Landscape designer Ben Shearer found inspiration in the geometric shapes and concrete elements of the original house – as well as the needs of two adventurous kids How to create a garden that would meet the needs of a young family without compromising the elegant, clean […]