Over the past year, Auckland gardens have taken a few design turns, driven both by urban landscape limitations and a more natural approach to the outdoors.
Softening the landscape seems to be one of the key outcomes. Whereas in the past, small city sections have been defined by large amounts of concrete and pavers with very squared off lines, courtyards and pathways are being redefined in loose material such as lime chip or decorative pebbles. A popular trend in pebbled areas is to embed pavers for a decorative effect.
Part of this is driven by high site coverage from dwellings, resulting in the need to look at permeable surfaces outdoors to fulfil stormwater runoff requirements. Recent instances of city flooding are contributing to this trend.
Similarly, increasing reflection on environmental issues is inspiring people to develop their garden in a more natural style. There's a desire for more flowering plants that not only attract bees for pollination, but also please the eye. And even that bastion of the suburban garden, the fertiliser hungry lawn, may be endangered because a small flowering meadow might be planted in its place.
The move to grow food at home has been gaining popularity. With no access to farmers’ markets around the city since mid- August, the construction of wooden sleeper vegetable beds has increased. Filled with garden or veggie mix, these have become natural adjuncts to the cooking of food at home in the absence of restaurants and Uber Eats.
Cutting herbs, picking salads, or simply teaching children where their food is from, are all possible with a few steps out to the garden. And to keep the look natural, the surfaces around the beds are easily made walkable with bark mulches or hoggin.
The exciting new gardens of urban Auckland are emerging from the past two years and with greater focus and importance than before. For more information on what’s trending in garden design check out these pages at www.centrallandscapes.co.nz/pages/inspiration
For help with getting your project started, Central Landscapes Avondale is open seven days right through to Christmas Eve. And after a well-earned rest the team will be back on Wednesday 5 January 2022.
CENTRAL LANDSCAPES AVONDALE, 419 Rosebank Road, T: 09 828 5533, Facebook: @CLSAvondale, www.centrallandscapes.co.nz
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Published 3 December 2021