The Brief
Zoe's newer Halswell home had the bones of a great outdoor space: a solid deck, a decent-sized backyard, and a side passage between the house and boundary fence, but all of it was unfinished. Bare soil, no planting, no pathway. The goal: lay a clean hardscape corridor through the side passage, lay the groundwork for the back garden, and bring in a curated planting selection that would grow into a full, layered landscape.
What We Did
- Side Passage Pathway: Installed a run of large concrete stepping pavers centred in the passage and set in dark basalt chip gravel, with timber edging rails on both sides creating a sharp defined frame through the full length of the corridor.
- Weed Suppression Base: Laid black weed mat across both the side passage and the back garden beds before any planting, ensuring long-term suppression without chemicals.
- Dark Basalt Chip Surfacing: Dressed all beds and the passage floor with fine dark basalt chip gravel, giving the whole space a clean, contemporary finish that contrasts well with the concrete pavers and timber edging.
- Backyard Garden Design & Staging: Brought in a full planting palette for the back garden including bamboo, buxus balls, conifers, deciduous ornamental trees, ferns, and mixed shrubs, laid out and staged across the garden bed prior to planting, allowing the design to be reviewed in position before going in the ground.
- Planting & Bed Preparation: Prepared the garden bed soil, set the stepping stone entry from the deck, and began placing plants in their final positions across the wide timber-framed garden border.
The Result
A property that went from a bare new-build section to a layered, designed garden in progress. The side passage is fully transformed: a clean, architectural hardscape corridor that's practical in any weather. The back garden has structure and a strong plant palette taking shape, with the full planting scheduled to bed in across the coming season.
Project Snapshot
| Location | Halswell, Christchurch |
| Services | Side passage hardscape, weed mat, dark basalt chip, garden staging and planting |
| Pathway | Large concrete stepping pavers with timber edging rails, set in dark basalt chip |
| Planting | Bamboo, buxus balls, conifers, ornamental trees, ferns, mixed shrubs |
| Groundcover | Dark basalt chip throughout all beds and passage |
