Total Look Design

Shaded feature garden.
A feature garden that has potential but lacks life.
Remove and replace overgrown Pungas. Setting further back and away from the walls add two Dicksonia fibrosa Wheki pungas.
Underplant with a mix of;
Blechnum gibbum - Silver Lady,
Adiantum aethiopicum - true maidenhair,
Asplenium bulbiferum -Hen & Chicken ferns.
Then add a splash with spring flowering and a different foliage textures with Clivia. This will now create a lush, low maintence and interesting feature garden for you to enjoy all year round.

Surrounded by native bush.
To stabilise the bank and be in harmony with your surrounding area plant your bank in NZ native plants and Vetiver which is a grass like/ non-invasive plant. The Vetiver roots pe*****te the ground up to 5 metres deep which helps stop erosion on banks.
Start with the smaller growing plants at the top of the bank and as you go further down the bank introduce plants with more height. This will prevent you from losing your view, doesn’t close your house area in or create too much shade. By nestling your house into the area you also create a haven for native birds with plants chosen for food.

Ugly retaining wall
When you have a large retaining wall to look at as you enter your property. Disguise it with flowers and fragrances. This will not just give you lovely fragrance but something to put into a vase. Having the Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum Jasminoides), Honeysuckle (Lonicera Belgica) hanging down the wall and the Compassion climbing rose going up the wall. Interplant with Murraya Paniculata, Astroemerias and Berginia Cordifolia. The area above the retaining wall plant wildflowers to attract the bees and butterflies.

A small courtyard with no outdoor space to relax in style. Looking at the fence and neighbours doesn’t create an area that you want to sit out in or look out at from inside the house.
By landscaping this outdoor area to create a more holiday feel by using a narrow garden. This prevents the outdoor entertainment area becoming too small. To create a all year round colourful lush garden a selection of sub-tropical plants with a variety of foliage shapes, colours and fragrances where chosen.
Night lighting could either be under all large trees within the garden. Or as I decided to keep it simple and have the spotlight on the feature at the end of the garden. This I felt kept the area a place of rest and more calming making it an area to look out to rather than up-close.

Small front property in a frost zone. Planting with NZ natives for a simple, low maintenance and modern look.
A rustic panel gives privacy to the neighbours without closing the deck area in. Keeping the existing large flaxes to the back of the garden creates some height. Continuing with the native theme bring in smaller varieties of flaxes & native plants that are frost hardy. Choosing plants for foliage colour and texture will give you all year round interest. Riverstone, rocks and w**d mat will make this a low maintenance garden.
Having a path angled creates a welcoming entry point to the house and having grass in between the pavers breaks up the solid concrete effect.
Night lighting creates points of interest within the garden. The tree trunk and branches are highlighted while it is deciduous. Once the tree is in full leaf the foliage will then be highlighted at night.

Sub-tropical driveway: Can be created by using at least five different plants for texture and levels for height. That are not too wide in their growth habit or if necessary, can be trimmed back from the driveway. Use the same plants on both sides of the driveway and repeated. This creates a lush, textured entry to your home without closing it in.
Entertainment area: Make a private sub-tropical entertainment area that you can relax with friends. Using some of the plants chosen for the driveway to connect both areas together. Again, using different textures and heights you can create your own paradise. By using a sail cloth gives you privacy from your neighbours while giving you shade in the hot summer days. Add fragrant plants to give that extra tropical feel. A feature could be added into this garden e.g., driftwood or rocks this will give the garden depth and solidness.
Night lighting: Lighting up the palms gives an ambience to these areas.