A backyard makeover for a wedding

Most landscaping projects tend to serve a specific purpose, like transforming an unused space into something more functional. But when Andrew and Zelda Tucker asked Zones for help to transform their Hamilton backyard, it was for something much more special.

“Andrew and Zelda wanted to create a functional entertainment area that was easily accessible from their house,” says Leah Huang, Zones Landscaping Specialist for the Waikato Region. “But we had a deadline that wasn’t going to move for anybody: December 2nd, the day their daughter was to be married.”

“Andrew and Zelda wanted to create a functional entertainment area that was easily accessible from their house."
- Leah, Landscaping specialist

The original development site was what Leah describes as a “bit of a wasteland”. Sloping and bare, the site had a few large rocks dotted around the place. The aim was to turn this blank canvas into a stylish and modern entertainment area that could be used all year round, softened with some aesthetically-pleasing yet very low-maintenance planting.

Developing a new landscape design

The central project was the construction of the Tuckers’ entertainment hub: a tiled patio complete with high-technology roofing system. But after determining what the client wanted – tiles, ClearVue roofing and an irrigation system – it became apparent that their original budget would need to be extended.

“Zelda had her heart set on a tiled patio from day one,” says Leah. “But outdoor tiling is much more expensive than paving stones, particularly when it comes to creating the base. Tiles require a very strong concrete base, otherwise there’s risk of the concrete – and therefore the tiles – cracking as the weather changes. You can’t lay tiles on ‘green’ or new concrete either, and there are much stricter standards to meet.

“Paving stones, on the other hand, simply need a compacted sand base which is much cheaper and less labour-intensive. There are also some paving stones on the market that look really designer, but they just weren’t quite big enough for what the Tuckers wanted, so they decided to stick with tiles but increase the budget accordingly.”

The patio’s roofing system was also a key element of the design.

“Andrew and Zelda wanted to create a functional entertainment area that could be used any time of year in any kind of weather, but they didn’t want the hassle of applying for a building consent,” says Leah. “Roofs larger than 20 square metres require consent, so we made ours exactly 20 square metres – and therefore avoided the paperwork!”

After seeing it advertised in a recent edition of Renovate Magazine, The Tuckers chose to work with ClearVue, a high-technology yet very lightweight roofing system that looks like glass but is significantly lighter. They also wanted a planting solution that would soften the hard edges on their landscaping design but wouldn’t require a lot of work – if any. The solution was a built-in irrigation system that, when set on a timer, automatically waters the garden.