Game On

Plants can thrive in an urban setting to provide a vibrant green space. Besides the visual treat, trees and plants help cleanse the air by producing oxygen.

The landscaping in Carlaw Park not only creates a pleasant view but makes it appear as if the property flows into the adjoining Auckland Domain. Trees and groundcover plants soften the buildings and give the area a welcoming feel.

The design, by consultancy Boffa Miskell, was implemented by Decker Landscapes. The company's work created the right look and met the architect's high expectations for the development, says Harold Decker, director of Decker Landscapes.

As tulip trees, cedar and English oak grow, they will provide shade for the precinct. The deciduous trees will provide a splash of colour during the autumn before shedding their leaves, Decker says. Then in the spring, 12 flowering cherry trees will offer a lovely display.

The trees are larger than the usual plantings for a new development because they were purchased several years ago, continuing to grow at the nursery, until the time came to plant them at Carlaw Park. This gives the complex an established appearance, rather than a raw, just-built look, because the trees are 4-5m tall rather than the usual 2m.

"It looks as if the whole development has been in place for at least five years," Decker says.

For more details, contact Decker Landscapes, 278 Waitoki Road, RD1, Kaukapakapa 0871, phone (09) 420 4194, fax (09) 420 4196.

Story by: Trendsideas