Courtyard makeover with lighting effects

A new deck, fences, low planters, walls, steps and lights making a wonderful outdoor space for all hours.

This garden is next to a coastal inlet so needs plants that tolerate salt winds. As the soil is sandy and free draining, irrigation was used to help plants over the drier months. The large pohutukawa at the front were thinned and reduced to keep a screen but not to create too much shade. The two large palms at the back were kept and another one added.

Before we did a makeover on this Khandallah courtyard, the site was messy, and access was unsafe. The fences, steps and walls were all failing. There was no flat areas suitable to enjoy the outdoor space. The driveway had old pavers that needed replacing as they had sunk in places. New fences, walls, steps were built and exposed concrete used on the driveway and pathways, and tiles used in the entertainment area.The plants include Pittosporum Wrinkle Blue and Camellia sasanqua hedges around the perimeter and colourful plants on the sloping garden such as deciduous azalea, red maple, and Chatham Island forget me nots and pimelia groundcover.

Using native plants on a bank

Recently we completed a garden with a steep bank behind it, part of which was crumbling. We excavated back the overhanging part of the bank and used rock anchors and mesh to hold the newly  cut back bank. You can use sprayed concrete over the mesh, but in this case the mesh was adequate.

To hold the bank at the base and provide a suitable garden we built up extended the raised garden and backfilled with garden mix. We then fixed ponga logs to the bank with pins and wires. The cut pongas are already sprouting in places at the top. The plants we used are mostly native climbers and low plants as below:

Climbers:

Metrosideros carminea, carmine rata

Tecomanthe speciosa, Three Kings climber

Pandorea pandorana, wongawonga ( not native)

Low plants:

Coprosma kirkii

Asplenium bulbiferum ( fern)

Parahebe lyallii

And the completed job!