Landscape Architect, Erin Phillips shares her insider knowledge about the best plants for commercial or public landscape design spaces.
Erin, how do you go about choosing the best plants for your garden, development or public/ commercial project?
“Effective landscape design for commercial and public spaces depends on several things – the overall vision, the maintenance level you’re aiming for (low-maintenance is always popular here!), and the scale of the project (think simple park versus sprawling development). But one key principle remains constant: diversity in plant selection.
A diverse landscape design comes with lots of benefits:
- Ecological Resilience: Planting a variety of species creates a more robust ecosystem. If one plant struggles due to disease or pests, others can take its place, preventing large-scale die-off.
- Visual Appeal: A mix of textures, colours, and foliage types adds visual interest, creating a more engaging and aesthetically pleasing environment.
- Lower Maintenance: Native plants, well-adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, generally require less watering, fertilizer, and pest control. Researching local flora can guide your plant choices, promoting a sustainable and low-maintenance landscape.
While native species are a great foundation, feel free to incorporate some special flowering plants or edibles to add a touch of personality to your landscape design. The main categories I work with when designing a new subdivision or park area are:
1. Groundcovers
Carpet for your garden! Starting small, these versatile plants can quickly fill gaps in garden beds, thriving amongst trees and shrubs. They offer a multitude of benefits: retaining moisture, suppressing weeds, and adding a touch of beauty. Available in a range of colours and boasting occasional blooms, plant either as a colourful mix or on-mass in one beautiful colour/species. Popular suggestions include:
- Pratia angulata (Panakenake) for its lovely small white flowers
- Acaena inermis purpurea (Bidibidi) for its purple colour
- Coprosma kirkii for its hardiness and tolerance to coastal environments.
2. Shrubs
Basically, the bread and butter of your garden design. There are many shrubs to choose from but some of the most popular choices are;
- Hebes, with many sub-species a popular suggestion is Hebe ‘Wiri Mist’ for its easy care and low maintenance. Hebes are hardy natives have attractive flowers and are attract bees and insects.
- Flaxes or harakeke thrive in a variety of conditions, offering low-maintenance beauty and cultural significance to commercial landscapes.
- Libertias or the New Zealand Iris. The most common of the eight New Zealand varieties are Libertia ixiodes and Libertia grandiflora for their beautiful flowers and look great planted on-mass.
3. Climbers
Climbers are a great way to smarten up a bare wall or fence and add the vertical green element to your landscaping space. Some climbers to try:
- Tecomanthe speciosa (Akapukaea). It is extremely rare and is endemic to Three Kings Island, where it got down to one known plant and was discovered in 1945. Fast forward to 2024 and it is now quite a popular climber choice for commercial and residential projects. . It is lush and tropical looking with large leaves and it grows relatively fast.
- Trachelospermum jasminoides (Star Jasmine) is another great climber choice, not to be confused with Jasminum polyanthum which is a weed. A climber with even coverage, and stunning when in full flower!
4. Native specimen trees
Trees are like the star of your garden design. They standout and provide visual amenity as well shade. Some picks for best native specimen trees are;
- Alectryon excelsus (Titoki tree). These are go-to trees. They have a lovely form, don’t grow too large, have great foliage and are reasonably hardy. You’ll see the Titoki tree at many residential and street projects.
- Kowhai trees are another less dense tree and are known or their swathes of vibrant yellow in springtime. They are good for planting around buildings in that they let light through and are not going to block views. With their flowers they may also attract Tui’s and other birds to your garden, if you are lucky. There are few sub-species of Kowhai but one pick is Sophora tetraptera for its larger leaves.
- Vitex lucens (Puriri tree) a great choice if you are after a grander tree with more presence. These endemic NZ trees have a perfect tree form, with lush tropical looking foliage and red berries that will attract native birds to your space.
5. Edibles
With the above ideas using mostly NZ native species, it can also be nice to add edible species and create a somewhat productive garden. Some best choices for edible fruit trees are;
- Macadamia tetraphylla (Macadamia tree). If you have the patience for one of these to mature and produce nuts, it will be a wonderful addition.
- Citrus trees. Relatively easy to grow in a pot or garden bed and produces quickly. The Meyer Lemon variety is a firm favourite in New Zealand.
- Plum trees. While fruit production isn’t guaranteed, these trees offer undeniable visual appeal, perfect for adding a touch of orchard charm to your landscape design.
- Vaccinium corymbosum (or blueberry shrub) a great choice for an edible hedge!
We’re also seeing new terraced home subdivisions adding herb or raised garden beds as a way to attract homebuyers and building a sense of community among tenants”, says Phillips.
To find out more about landscape design, drop Erin a line or phone the office on (09) 836 1804.
