Grand Designs Australia – Issue 6.3 – May 2017

J

apan has inspired the world with its

distinctive approach to garden design,

and although it’s a long way from

the Asian nation, this picturesque

Queenstown, New Zealand property certainly

shows evidence of that infl uence. Inspired by

their time living in Japan, the homeowners

didn’t only want a structured native garden;

they wanted a Japanese-themed courtyard, too.

Therefore, the brief for their garden, situated

under The Remarkables mountain range and

overlooking Lake Wakatipu, was for a native

planting theme with a Japanese twist.

“It was to be a native garden with structure

and a Japanese-themed courtyard that

utilises the outer garden,” says Joe Nutting,

managing director of Southern Landmarx

Ltd, who constructed the garden for this

scenic property in Lakeside Estate.

Originally, the courtyard was a small

pond feature that had the required eff ect

but needed a lot of maintenance, such as

ongoing algae treatment, to maintain water

quality. The courtyard was restructured and

a hand-carved natural rock basin, teamed

with a small bamboo pipe which allows

water to fl ow over the rock, was installed.

“In the end, this was a bolder statement in

the courtyard but in a subtle way,” says Joe.

The main structure is the waterfall that

feeds into the pond. This was shaped with

natural boulders weighing up to 1.5 tonnes

LEFT Food sustainability has been achieved,

with the couple growing their own vegetables

in two areas

The courtyard was restructured and a hand-

carved natural rock basin, teamed with a

small bamboo pipe which allows water to

fl ow over the rock, was installed

NATIVE WITH A TWIST

This structured native garden reflects the stunning

location and the owners’ love of Japan

WORDS // DANIELLE TOWNSEND PHOTOGRAPHY // KEVIN WAKELING

PROJECT

// ORIENTAL DELIGHT

213 GRAND DESIGNS GRAND DESIGNS 213