Soft tonal brick, dark steel accents and bursts of natural colour and foliage dominate the newly built Ryman Kevin Hickman Village in Christchurch. Set alongside the prestigious racecourse, with views of the racecourse itself and the Port Hills, the client appointed Natural Habitats to install gardens to complement their premium retirement village.

The gardens are conceived around a year-round flowering palette to contrast the hard elements. This required an array of exotics to feature throughout the gardens to replicate the wider feeling ‘The Garden City’ creates.

The key challenge to creating a landscape of this nature is managing the expectations of the client with the expectations of the individual owners, each with their own preferences. As the Village is sold in stages, many residents are exposed to the construction environment this type of development creates.

Natural Habitats was proud to work closely with the client and carefully on-site completing planting to ensure the satisfaction of residents. The impact of the gardens is immediate, with bright greens and bursts of colour adorning the new neighbourhood.