Greenscene NZ Landscapes take immense pride in every landscape we bring to life, but there’s a special joy in seeing a long-term vision fully realised. For this family in Mt Eden, that vision was a beautiful sanctuary designed for togetherness, a place where barefoot playdates could seamlessly transition into sophisticated friends and family gatherings, culminating in cosy, firelit evenings.
Our journey began in 2018 with the initial design concept approval. Working closely with the clients, we knew the heart of this project was to create the ultimate family garden—a versatile space that was as functional for kids’ games, as it is elegant for adult entertaining. The scope was comprehensive, centring on a dramatic sunken firepit terrace and a robust terraced lawn, both essential components for their aspirational outdoor living Auckland lifestyle.
The planting scheme, covering 95m², focused on a beautiful, established Camellia hedge, chosen for its structure and elegance. This, paired with other low-maintenance native species, provides year-round colour and texture. The entire garden is managed by a smart, mains-powered irrigation controller, ensuring simplicity.
Today, we love hearing about the small, daily rituals that have taken root. From ‘beers on the patio’ to spirited games of backyard cricket, the space is truly living up to its promise. The bespoke outdoor fireplace and the exquisitely honed masonry seats are now the centrepieces of their daily life.
Attention to detail defines our approach. The elegant finish of the acid-etched black oxide concrete on the terrace is a testament to the high level of craftsmanship we commit to. It’s why many of our clients rely on our comprehensive design, build and maintain service. This ensures the vision we crafted together is sustained for years to come, preserving the garden’s beauty and functionality effortlessly.
Here’s what the client has to say about their experience…
“We asked GreensceneNZ Landscapes to visit our home and come up with a landscape design concept for our rear yard, which had a sloping lawn that seemed to encroach into our home, providing a messy/uninviting space. The concept was something we would never have envisaged. The design raised the lawn area to get a flat grassed section, with the remaining lower area transformed into a flat tiled outdoor space fronting our beloved fireplace as the centerpiece.
GreensceneNZ Landscapes then provided a quote to complete the work and the team delivered on time and on budget (under the design teams watchful design eye to ensure every detail of the vision was realised, even when volcanic rock was encountered). The experience was stress- free and enjoyable, with the team working with our family to minimise disruption to day to day living during the build. We now have a yard that seems enlarged by the design with three separate but connected outdoor areas that flow into one another, out from our internal living to the deck, to the patio to the elevated lawn.
This work was completed five years ago and looks better now with all the matured plantings, that are enhanced by the GreensceneNZ Landscapes maintenance team, as part of the full service offered by the GreensceneNZ Landscapes team.
We were so happy that two years ago we got the team in to design and build our unused front yard to incorporate a decorative double-parking pad and low maintenance garden with large, poured concrete pedestrian slabs stepping through the garden to our home’s front entrance. This work was also done alongside our builders at the time, which showed how the GreensceneNZ Landscapes team could fit in with our contractors working our home.
The overall work has transformed our property and taken our home living experience to another level. We do not hesitate to recommend the design, build and maintenance team at GreensceneNZ Landscapes to our friends and will use them again should the need arise. Although our enjoyment of our home means we are not going anywhere!”
Photo Credit: Mark Scowen Photography