A Tamahere Transformation by Groundcover Landscaping

Early this year, we paid a visit to another recently completed project from Hamilton-based Groundcover Landscaping. Redwood Grove in Tamahere was created from a landscape design by Monique Murphy at Imagine Landscape Design.

Incorporating a resort-style deck, pool with pergola, and a series of generous raised vegetable garden beds—this landscape design ticks all the boxes for entertaining, homegrown vegetable gardening and stylish outdoor living.

It’s a beautiful flat site with plenty of space - What makes this particular garden design especially meaningful to Groundcover Landscaping and the designer Monique?

Turning a bare lawn, with some cobbled together veggie gardens, into a garden that has blossomed into a true paradise is so rewarding. The plants have matured and filled out the space nicely. This design holds a special place for Monique—it was the last one she created entirely by hand before switching to digital modelling.

The raised garden beds are a lovely example of geometric structure that’s softened by the abundant produce growing within them.

Tell us a bit about the materials used for this section.

The raised garden beds (and the arches) were constructed out of MCA treated Trustwood sleepers, which is a popular choice for raised vegetable gardens due to their long-term durability and environmental friendliness. These pine sleepers are designed to resist decay and insect damage, making them suitable for direct contact with soil in vegetable gardens. They also feature a rich, mahogany-like colour infused during the treatment process, enhancing their aesthetic appeal.

The surrounding paths were created with Mangatangi Gold pebble that complemented the Trustwood sleepers and provided easy access to all sides of the gardens.

The pool and pergola make for a wonderful entertainment zone with lush planting around the perimeter. Tell us more about the plant selection.

While we took care of the hard landscaping elements, the client rolled up their sleeves and completed all the planting themselves. With Monique’s design and careful selection and placement of lush greenery and sculpted shrubs, the result has beautifully softened and enhanced the overall space.

How long did the project take, and did you face any challenges during construction? What feedback have you had from the clients?

The project took 6 weeks of labour for a team of 2. The covered pergola in the pool area was a technical challenge, but overall, the job went very smoothly.  The clients were thrilled with the outcome, and so were we!

(Photo taken at completion of project)

Link below to read more of our Landscape Project Features