King Fern Magic

A recent trip to Rarotonga showcased the stunning form of ferns when I discovered a valley on the cross-island walking track full of ancient king ferns.

The king fern Ptisana salicina is found throughout the South Pacific and Australia, but is in severe decline due to impacts of pigs and other introduced species which destroy the plants.

It is the most stunning plant, with fronds up to 5 m wide and tall enough to walk underneath - but it's the saucer sized unfurling fronds which captivate me.  I'll aim to try and grow one in my garden at home, just to be able to experience that beauty on a regular basis.

Buckleton Beach Garden Update

Six months on, the coastal garden at Buckleton Beach (which includes a living roof) has grown really well.  

The planting plan was simple and aimed to create a strong frontage of hardy, easily maintained species for this holiday home with room to park the boat and for visual interest when viewed from the deck above.

The mix of native and the occasional Australian ground cover (to link with existing large gum tree in front yard) have grown well and should in time reflect relatively well the original concept.  The photo below is a conceptual montage of what we imagined the front terrace might look like.

This photo below shows the scenario six months after planting - not bad.

The living roof is doing really well with most plants surviving the summer and spreading across the roof to create a striped carpet of hardy coastal natives.

and what a stunning location made even more special with the use of coastal species which fit with the context of the garden.

Courtyard Garden

The design concept for this garden aimed at creating a tranquil and private courtyard and entry space which leads visitors to the main house entrance while also providing a usable area for seating and play (particularly in the morning).

The concept builds on the existing strong structure of plaster walls which create individual planting beds. These create an edge to the courtyard and help to soften the hard paved space in the central area.  The planting palette focuses on a limited easily maintained range of plants which will form a strong structural element to the space.  A contrast in textures is achieved by use of the rounded shapes of the golf ball pittosporum and the strap like leaves of the Xeronema.  

These strong textures are then softened by the soft star jasmine and snow in summer plants which are interspersed throughout the garden beds.  

The colour palette picks up on the grey and white tones of the house and focuses on shades of green and grey with white flowers and occasional drama supplied by the splashes of red of the xeronema when it flowers.  

The hard surfaces are a mix of large rectangular pavers which assist in leading the visitor to the front door and white gravel mix which allows for a softening effect to the paved area while still being usable by the clients.  Feature olive trees provide a soft open screening of the bedroom spaces at ground level while still allowing light into these rooms. They also assist in delineating the movement of visitors to the steps and up to front entry rather than trying to access through the bedroom doors.  Feature pots provide sculptural form and additional softening within the hard space.  

A feature diamond trellis is provided on the timber fence and garage wall to create a further interest and to soften those hard elements.  This feature will be softened over time with the flowering star jasmine which will climb the wires and create a vegetated diamond pattern against the wall. 

Community Driven Design & Development Guide

I've been working with another local landscape architect, Geraldine Bayley on a Design and Development Guideline for our local village of Kaukapakapa.  It is a privilege to be working on a community driven project (Kaukapakapa Area Residents and Ratepayers) and to have had such great input from the local community.

The image above is of the draft concept for an entry sign for the village which I developed based on the feedback and input of locals and their desire to see the meaning of the Kaukapakapa name being used as inspiration for branding of the village.

You can find out more about the project and where it is all at the KARRA website and at the following website link on the details of the project, www.kaukapakapa-design.com

Check out this interview on my collaborative living roof research project featured on the Animal Architecture website.  This interview was a result of our team receiving an honorable mention in this International competition  ://www.animalarchitecture.org/interview-prosthetic-lizard-homes/  

Ellerslie Flower Show Inspiration

I have just come back from two wonderful days of judging at the Ellerslie Flower Show in Christchurch.  The show this year was spectacular with a variety of very different  gardens and some wonderful planting palettes which ranged from whimsical and natural to bold and joyful.  Here are some of my show highlights which will inspire future planting choices...

A riotous mix of burnt orange and deep purples is a very vibrant but effective tapestry in the garden by LA's Fiona Greig and Jocelyn Mahoney.

A soft and feathery white effect using Gaura in a garden by Sandi MacRae.

Contrasts with the silver, yellow and white of plants and glass sculptural water features.

A simple yet bold pot display.

A deep red and purple planting scheme in Xanthe Whites garden adds drama to a soft palette of Omaru Stone and pumice.

With a water feature back-dropped by a green wall.

A bold and very innovative garden by Paul Roper-Gee - I particularly liked the mix of natives and weed species as a statement about NZ's blended landscapes and feral botanical legacy.

And last but not least - my personal favorite - a 'gone to seed' vegetable garden by Rachael Matthews.

With a inspirational use of old flax flowers for tepee poles in the vege patch.

Green Architecture

I'm often inspired by the beauty of leaf architecture...

A Week of Live-Roofing!

This week has been full of living roof experiences, which is one of my favorite types of work.  Earlier in the week I gave a presentation on the WCC living roof (and a tour of the roof) to a group of visiting sustainability students from the University of Maryland touring NZ with their professor Dr John Lea-Cox.  The roof is looking fantastic, with some great growth of the native plants.

Then, spent friday helping Zoe from Living Roofs and Blake from GreenScene to put in place a native living roof on the newly constructed Whangarei Council toilets at Bream Bay Walkway at Urqhurts Bay in Whangarei - what a stunning location...

... first order of the day was to hiab the substrate onto the roof.

then the process of spreading, laying out the plants and planting.

It was a long day, but the end result was great, and the coming months we'll monitor to ensure the plants survive over the summer (not the most ideal timing for planting but needs must).  I'll update with photos of the completed toilet in a few weeks.

In the News!

Found out via an email from a colleague that I have been featured in the Science category of the North & South New Zealanders of the Year Awards (North & South’s celebration of Kiwi’s who made a difference in 2011) as being a “bright spark – the inventors and innovators across science, medicine and technology who add to the sum of human knowledge and push the boundaries of human endeavor”.

The award commendation was as follows:

Renee Davies: Unitec’s Landscape Architecture department head is an award-winning eco-landscape designer, who established New Zealand’s first extensive commercial “living roof” using only native plant species.  Not satisfied with the greening of the country’s roofs, Davies is now developing a high-rise environment for endangered native lizard species; living roofs are potentially ideal sites to establish populations of skinks, she says, being free of mammal predators and introduced lizards, plus offering a sufficient insect food supply for the vulnerable natives.   Ref:  North and South Magazine, Issue 310, January 2012

I have no idea how or who, but nice that the research is seen to be making a contribution!

Green on Green

A recent visit to Whirinaki forest has highlighted yet again the beauty of the New Zealand forest and the multitude of senses enlivened by the array of gorgeous green which is the predominant palette of our (and indeed any) forest environment.  I am reminded of a quote whose author escapes me at present, but it provides a wonderful description of how the green of the forest can be all -pervading and enveloping.

"The green of the forest becomes ingrained.  It seeps into your skin and saturates the retinas of your eyes... it is almost as if you become a part of the forest chlorophyll itself".

Whirinaki forest is a place i've been wanting to visit since I was a teenager, when the illustrious David Bellamy visited NZ and championed the cause to save the forest from logging.  I still remember the controversy at the time - economic livelihood and jobs vs intrinsic values.  I must say that I was not disappointed and the place was as awe-inspiring as I had always imaged.  I have to admit to being very pleased that I can still stand in the shadow of the tall Kahikatea giants and know that many generations after me will hopefully have the same sensory opportunities to explore.

I always find our NZ native forest plants to be a never-ending source of inspiration for design.  Epiphytes inspiring a green wall - as this link to my own green wall creation illustrates.  Or the natural tapestry of plant mixes inspiring a revegetation planting.  When in the forest I tune in to not only visual observation, but also with a sensitivity towards sounds, scents, textures and flavours, all of which combine to create the overall experience of sensory opulence.