We joined Mel from Bee Green Landscaping as he carries out routine garden maintenance on a Campbells Bay property. Mel and the team recently transformed the backyard, turning an overgrown, grassy slope into a tidy and restful garden setting.
The owners can now look out from their living room to a newly levelled area, with generous corten steel planters, Waikato Fleck Pebbles and structured planting in behind.
The sides and corner gardens of residential properties often get overlooked or underutilised - what were the owners of this property wanting to achieve?
Our client approached us to renovate their back garden. It was pretty much an empty, medium-sized garden bed with outdated planting and a general lack of maintenance. From our initial consultation, it was clear how important this area is to them.
The integrated kitchen, dining, and living areas all face right out onto this garden. The brief was simple and clear: create a visually attractive garden all year round.
What I love most about this project are the Corten steel planters. They provide a great space for seasonal flowers, veggies, and herbs. It’s a spot where the owners and their kids can get their hands dirty and enjoy some gardening together.
Tell us a bit about the materials and plants used in this project
The main challenge was that the new plants would be sitting under these huge and mature Pōhutukawas (Metrosideros excelsa). They take a lot of nutrients, water, and light from the area. Because of that, it was critical to prepare the new garden bed properly, allowing for enough Premium Garden Mix, slow-release fertilizers, and Bark Mulch. That way, we could create good conditions for the new plants to grow healthily in the first few months until they are established.
As landscape gardeners, we know that building healthy soil is one of the most important investments for a garden to succeed in the long term and reduce its maintenance. When planting the new plants, we did it properly.
We added a generous amount of Garden Mix into the holes, along with Gypsum, Blood & Bone, and Sheep Pellets. On top of that, we watered all the plants before and after with Aquaticus Organic Garden Booster to reduce transplant shock.
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We wanted the new planting to offer seasonal interest all year long and keep maintenance to a minimum. That’s why we chose this plant palette; they perform well in Auckland’s weather and are resilient to pests and diseases.
We included Buxus microphylla globes to add structure to the garden, Clivias for early winter color, and a Magnolia 'Cleopatra' tree to add a focal point from the kitchen and dining room. Also, the Citrus trees bring color during the cooler months, and the grasses at the back give some movement.
The site was levelled and Waikato Fleck pebbles were laid - tell us about that process
In the final stage, we installed the large Corten steel pots. As the area was a bit sloped, we removed the excess soil and laid a layer of GAP20 to level the area and create a solid base for installing the large pots and laying the Waikato Fleck Pebbles at the end.
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I would say that I am not a huge fan of weed mats, as you can have issues with them in the long term. So, we used a generous layer of GAP 20 and Waikato Fleck, which, in my view, is a good option to reduce maintenance as the weeds are easy to pull out.
There’s a lovely colour palette on display - you have the warm tones of the Corten Planters and Waikato Fleck pebbles contrasting with the cool greens of the plants. How important is colour and structure when designing a garden space?
The structure is the skeleton that shapes the space. In this case, the client was happy with the idea of removing the small lawn area to increase the surface of the new garden bed and install the large pots, creating a new space to grow veggies and flowers. Then, colour is another important element when you think of a space; it sets the mood.
We wanted warm and natural colours here to bring a sense of calm. Additionally, the Waikato Fleck Pebbles require very low maintenance, as their colours usually conceal any small weeds.
Garden maintenance is a core part of Bee Green Landscaping services - what’s typically involved in a follow up visit?
We encourage our clients to book a few aftercare visits following any new planting or garden renovation. The first few months are important for the new plants to establish and to ensure everything is right.
We typically check that the mulch is not piling too close to the stem, trees are staked properly and refill any area where the soil has sunk a little.
We might prune any young hedges or topiary, inspect all the plants to ensure they are healthy, and take action on any early pest or disease problems.
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