Auckland’s northern region has seen a lot of growth in residential properties and landscape designer consultant Sandy Lochhead has been helping her clients transform their outdoor spaces from sites to sanctuaries.
We spoke to Sandy about three recent projects that showcase how landscaping can add function, value and beauty to a property.
Project 1 - Alfresco entertainment in Kumeū
Key Products: Waikato Fleck Pebbles | Black Mulch | JakMat Ground Stabilisation | Concrete Pavers | Raised Garden Beds
Decorative pebbles and stones are an excellent low maintenance option for paths and courtyards.
This is a fairly compact site - what was the owner aiming to achieve through this project?
Sandy: "They wanted to create a great family entertainment space and utilise their outdoor living area to its full potential.
Decorative Waikato Fleck Pebbles & Concrete Pavers surrounded by raised garden beds with bench seating.
In addition to the backyard transformation they also wanted to have an additional parking area at the front of the property."
I believe you had some challenges around weather and drainage - what happened?
Sandy: "This project was hampered with a lot of wet weather which made excavation work a challenge.
Decorative Waikato Fleck Pebbles & raised garden beds topped with Black Mulch provide a stunning contrast and low-maintenance solution.
It also provided an opportunity to identify a potential drainage issue while constructing the driveway extension for the additional parking area.
We discussed this with the client and a variation was agreed upon and we installed the necessary drainage to ensure this wouldn’t pose an issue in the future."
JakMat GeoCell Ground Stabilisation Mat is used to form a stable and permeable base for the car parking area.
Project 2 - Home gardening paradise - Gulf Harbour
Key Products: Hoggin | Premium Garden MIx | Raised Garden Beds
What was the client’s brief for this project?
Sandy: "The client knew what they wanted from the start and had planned out the area for their raised garden.
As avid gardeners they plan to do the planting over time, wanting to create an English garden theme."
Hoggin forms the pathways around the large raised garden beds.
The hoggin provides a lovely contrast to the raised garden beds. Was there practical reasons for choosing this material as well?
Sandy: "The hoggin was a great alternative to decorative pebbles and fits in well with the English garden theme.
It ticked all the boxes not only as a semi-permeable option, it also provided a good firm surface as a pathway and for wheeling garden tools from the shed."
Before
After
Project 3 - Dairy Flat
Key Products: Waikato Fleck Pebbles | Mulch | Pavers | Railway Sleepers
This looks like a semi-rural property - does that change your approach to the landscape design?
Sandy: "Yes and no it depends on whether we are landscaping the full property or if the focus is mainly around the home.
Waikato Fleck Pebbles, Mulch, Railway Sleepers and Corten Steel combine for an attractive rustic look.
In this case the landscaping focused around the home and the bunds on the fence line to help with privacy and the prevailing winds.
In saying that, additional drainage was required which we were able to assist with and constructed four outflow drains in accordance with the engineering specifications the client provided.
When it is a full property we also consider the need for additional excavation and contouring of the land as required."
Decorative Waikato Fleck pebbles combined with large pavers to create an attractive and low maintenance zone.
What drove your choice of materials?
Sandy: "The client wanted to keep to a rustic look that blended in with the surrounding bush. With that in mind our landscape designer proceeded to bring that brief to life.
The railway sleepers, Waikato Fleck pebbles, macrocarpa pergola, a bespoke construction and the corten steel retaining wall all made for a great combination."
Tell us a bit more about this part of the garden - that lawn would be the envy of many!
Sandy: "Due to the size of the area we opted for hydroseeding (thanks to The Lawn Laying Company) instead of ready lawn as a more cost effective option and the result was amazing.
I was surprised at how quickly the lawn started to sprout. It was like waking up one morning and the ground was green. This did require a fair amount of watering to facilitate good germination."
Since we’re looking at three projects, what are the top three goals that homeowners typically want to achieve in a landscaping project, in your opinion?
Sandy: Having an outdoor living space that is easy to maintain, practical and works for their lifestyle. A space to entertain and enjoy with family and friends. Also optimising their outdoor spaces and providing privacy especially in the more densely populated sub divisions.
And how do you help them achieve those goals?
Sandy: "To achieve the best result and nail those goals—start with a landscape design, whether it's a small or large project.
An outdoor living space should be approached in the same way as renovating a kitchen or bathroom, it is an investment into your home and adds resale value.
Visualising the space and being able to plan this out is an important step and gives everyone a shared understanding of the desired outcome.
This makes scoping the work and quoting easier, as all parties are working off the same plan.
Without a design/plan clients end up with varying quotes and results as each person tries to interpret the client's vision and goals."
- Sandy Lochhead, Zones Landscaping, Rodney
