New Zealanders are property proud people, often DIYing most of their home improvements & curating their outdoor area. A lush, vibrant backyard is synonymous with New Zealand; however, it can be a daunting task to start a backyard renovation if you do not have gardening or landscaping experience. Shadowspec is passionate about landscape and garden design as the Shadowspec Serenity, Unity & Retreat are all about relaxation and protection for you and your loved ones. We believe the quickest way to relax is to sit in your backyard under one of our garden umbrellas surrounded by lush greenery. Here are some easy, practical garden design ideas.
Garden Zone Blocking
How Your Garden's Design Can Impact Your Wellness Using hedges and paths to create enclose and open spaces adds visual and physical appeal. Starting with a flat area where outdoor furniture can reside and relaxing can occur, you can start to plant around it to add dimension and privacy. You don’t want to block this area off with heavy hedging, instead, lean into something whispier like cherry blossoms, Acer maple, or rose bushes. Interplant these with lower lying statement plants like, French lavender, hydrangeas & echinacea.
It is important to plant your perennial trees first as they will provide the garden structure that your grasses, perennial & annual flowers will be planted around. Also consider your shade choices, garden umbrellas can be install after planting but other shade solutions may need to be installed prior to any garden work.
For Medium Height Plants, We Recommend:
- Zinnia
- Echinacea
- Dwarf sunflowers
- Dahlias
- Basil
- Red tussock
For Low Lying Plants, We Recommend:
- Creeping thyme
- Lambs ear
- Forget me nots
- Calendula
- Carex
Oasis Designing
Now that you have a plan for the garden, we recommend you complete planning for the central area where your hedges and paths open to. When designing what goes in the middle of your Oasis we have a couple of recommendations.
Seating
We recommend having numerous seating options that can be broken down into three categories:
- one to lie down on
- one to fit multiple people
- one to snuggle up on
If you are short on space, we recommend looking into a seating arrangement that can satisfy at least two of these needs. Once you have a general idea of what type of seating you are going with, it is important to decide on fabric choice. At Shadowspec, we recommend Recasens or Sunbrella fabric as they come with great warranties and UV protection meaning it will not fade or degrade in the harsh New Zealand sun.
All Gardens Need Shade
In your outdoor oasis you have two shade options, a fixed structure or a garden umbrella. Both come with pros and cons, for example, if you wanted to grow a vining plant up your shade solution, a fixed structure would be the answer. If you didn’t want to deal with the hassle of a building consent, or wanted a mobile shade solution, an umbrella would be the best shade choice for your space.
Visualise Your Garden with AR
Hope you enjoyed reading Garden Design Ideas for New Zealanders. If you’d like to discuss the Shadowspec range of garden umbrellas please reach out to our team of shade specialists or try out the Shadowspec AR. Shadowspec AR is our Augmented Reality tool that allows you to place the Shadowspec Serenity or Unity in your space and try out different canopies, colours and locations.
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