Opportunities for urban green space are increasing as we reconcile density with human needs and sustainability. From pocket parks to green walls to communal rooftop vege plots, some clean air and domesticity is softening our cities. Written by Andrea Stevens.   The Commons rooftop garden, Melbourne (above) By Breathe Architecture, photo Andrew Wuttke The five-storey […]

A common problem for many New Zealand gardens is drainage and the channelling away of excess water. But what about when landscaping is required for a dry climate where there is likely to be a lack of water for lengthy periods? Megan Wraight talks us through such a project in Central Otago in New Zealand’s […]

The initial brief to connect this Auckland house with its outdoor cooking area expanded to enhance its whole relationship with the garden. Designer Sally McLeay explains how raising levels created a greater use of space. The backyard of this 1930s house was at different levels and partially shaded. By terracing and retaining, it has become […]

Trish Bartleet shares some insights on ‘soft landscaping’ – the plants that give life and living colour to your garden. The soft landscaping in a garden should be revisited every seven years because the form and size of the plants change, and the gardens can become shady. Most gardens look their best between two and five […]

As much science and art goes into shaping the land around your home as the architecture itself. Trish Bartleet takes us around the garden. Creating the brief: your first step is to define what you want to achieve from the property. Collect all your own thoughts and ideas as well as those from anybody else […]