Classical and contemporary courtyard, Mt Eden

WOOD COURTYARD GARDEN | MEWBURN AVE

• Designed, constructed and maintained by Second Nature Gardens
• Won Gold for both Design and Construction in the 2019 Registered Master Landscapers Awards of Distinction.
• Featured in NZ Gardener Magazine
• Featured in Auckland Garden DesignFest 2019
• Featured in Heroic Garden Festival 2018

MOUNT EDEN VILLA

This historic home seemed well suited to a classic garden however the personality of the client necessitated a more whimsical response, so we used classic undertones to reflect the architecture of the house, over laid with a touch of quirkiness.

The most significant challenge was the re-construction of the front terrace of this historically significant home whilst retaining the original features.

The dominant garage wall became a foliage clad backdrop to the space, which we developed into one large open courtyard space wrapped by planting. The use of multiple ground surface treatments visually breaks the space into two smaller areas. The oval black and white tiled area acts as an entrance patio while the permeable Stoneset area, which was our response to the site coverage restrictions, provides a seating nook with pierced brick detail.

The planting design was driven by the need for low maintenance, combined with visual warmth to counteract the severity of the black and white theme. Bold form and foliage contrasts, and a strict palette of black, white, green and rich pink, put a contemporary spin on the traditional plant species used such as Buxus, Roses, Camellia and Hydrangea.