Landscape design, implementation and planting by Second Nature 

This garden is located in Bethells Beach on Auckland’s rugged West Coast. The garden is a response to the surrounding iconic West Coast landscape and the architectural form of the house. The intention of the ‘garden’ was to seamlessly blend the house into the landscape whilst allowing the architecture to stand alone in the space.

The primary open space on the site was to the north of the house and the bold call was made to exclude vehicles from this area. All too often the motor vehicle dominates our outdoor spaces. In this case - cars were to be excluded and parked on the roadside. Visitors enter the site under an archway of Pohutukawa, into an open lawn space that is enclosed with a palette of native plants, almost exclusively locally eco-sourced. The planting serves to create a sheltered and private space (which also serves to discreetly camouflage the water storage and grey water tanks). The expanse of lawn runs to the base of the building, allowing the architecture of the house to stand unfettered in the garden.

Salt-laden winds, sandy soil and a lack of water demanded that plants were hardy and relatively low maintenance. Plants were installed closely to shelter each other and create the effect of a tangled bouquet of native flora. Planting in the rear yard utilises (occasionally sculptured) Muehlenbeckia and flax which creates a simple but dramatic effect.

This garden is a tribute to its unique location, the endemic local flora, a sublime architectural response and a visionary client.    

Architecture: Herbst Architects