Bush Garden Waitakere

By NICK ROBINSON

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This garden is tucked in to the edge of native bush but with sheltered sunny glades and welcome shade in the hot summer months. The house, built in the 1960s was raised high above the ground and one of the key design aims was to connect the living areas better with the garden. To achieve this, two deck were built that split the difference in level in two. This allows the owner to easily access the decks which have a good sense of being immersed in the garden and from which its detailed qualities can be appreciated. Garden routes lead through a stepping stone paved kanuka glade, over boardwalk and dry river bed garden and explore an unusual variety of shade loving species thrive in the protection of the existing trees. The owner is undertaking a house extension which has been carefully integrated with the garden to ensure that the gardens are enhanced by the new building.

A boardwalk over the rain garden attended by lush planting
Approach to the house through a glade-like space
Natural stone stepping stones lead through the kanuka glade which features all native planting of grasses, ferns and understorey shrubs
A rain garden was created to help detain and retain stormwater on site. It was surfaced with carefully graded boulders and pebbles.
The blue flowered walking iris, Neomarica caerulea, is a feature of the garden, flanking the rain garden bridge
The detailed markings and elegant form of the flowers of walking iris are captivating.
Simple native ground cover of creeping fuchsia, sedges and taupata spread under the existing titoki and clothe te more dfficult corners of the site.
The glades around the house become a woodland garden, combining native ferns, nikau, sedges and exotic perennials and shrubs.

Professionals used in
Bush Garden Waitakere

NICK ROBINSON
NICK ROBINSON
Landscape Architects

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NICK ROBINSON

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About the
Professional

Nick Robinson  ProAccGDSNZ, NZILA(Reg)

Nick is a landscape and garden designer with over twenty years experience of designing, creating and managing private and public gardens in New Zealand, UK and USA . He is also a design teacher and lecturer and is the author of the Planting Design Handbook (published by Routledge, third edition 2016) along with many articles on design and planting.

A special interest is beautiful and bio-diverse design for ecology and wildlife in the garden as well as in the wider environment. Nick's gardens are created as 'pollinator paradises' providing foraging and shelter for the many beneficial insects that visit gardens.

Nick has a HND in Landscape and Horticulture Technology from Askham Bryan, York, UK, a Masters in Landscape Design from University of Sheffield UK, and is chartered member of the Landscape Institute, a registered member of the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects, and an Profesionally Accredited Member of the Garden Design Society of New Zealand.