Productive Garden Courtyard: Landscape Design, Planting & Construction Project
Location: Remuera
Designer: Second Nature - Kerry Spiers
Implementation: Second Nature
Completed: 2015
Second Nature completed this garden makeover from start to finish, creating an Italianate courtyard designed to feed the client’s family throughout the year. Kerry Speirs’ approach to landscape design for this productive courtyard required careful planning to make the most of the limited space available in this inner-city townhouse.
The landscape construction and planting needed to be executed in perfect unison to allow room for the fruit and vegetables to thrive while still working with as much of the existing hardscaping elements as possible. Clever landscaping meant edible greens could grow between floor tiles, and existing pathways were preserved.
Equal parts entertaining sanctuary and productive garden, this courtyard demonstrates that even in homes with limited space tucked away in a bustling cityscape, creating a space to relax in that is also sustainable is possible.
Maximising home harvests in the city
With a total growing area of 15 sqm, every inch counts when cultivating a productive garden. Second Nature put the space to work, using vertical gardening to overcome the limited space available. A six-tray vertical planter and a big frame for climbers allowed the owner to add more of her favourite vegetables, utilising the vertical space. Every avenue for growing was used with two new raised beds, four deep troughs, large pots, and six hanging baskets dedicated to food production.
Curious to learn the extent of her new garden’s output, the owner weighed her harvests for half a year. Six months in, she added up the total to 138kg of food—excluding inedible outer layers that became worm feed. The key to a steady supply of kai was careful planning and strategic plant placement. With the owner's dedicated care, this productive garden transformed the way the family eats.
Registered Master Landscapers
Second Nature are Registered Master Landscapers, which provides assurance to our clients that our work and business practices have consistently achieved the required best practice and adhere to the Registered Master Landscapers code of conduct.
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