Landscape design by Mark Newdick, Mark Newdick Landscape Architecture
In Raumati Beach, this property has evolved from a classically cute bach to a unique and stunning coastal home and garden.
Designed for a young couple with a precast concrete business, the garden was crafted in stages — starting with the beachside garden, followed by the house garden, and later the back and side gardens with a driveway.
The Brief
The design brief for this project centred on creating a multifaceted landscape that integrated both hard and soft elements with the newly built home and its coastal surroundings. The homeowners wanted an outdoor area that balanced functionality, aesthetics and the unique challenges of a seaside environment.
With the homeowners’ busy lifestyle and young family in mind, low-maintenance solutions were key when it came to planting choices. It was also vital that the planting palette would be able to survive and thrive amongst the difficult conditions that coincide with a coastal location.
The Transformation
The redesigned garden features lots of spaces to suit family life. Plants have been carefully selected to ensure the garden is low-maintenance, resilient and built to thrive amongst its beachside conditions and Wellington’s notorious winds. Repetition in the planting selection creates a sense of unity throughout the expansive garden, while also reducing maintenance by ensuring plants establish easily and thrive over time.
A climbing Tecomanthe speciosa at the entrance adds a welcoming touch. An astroturf lawn by the family room provides a low-maintenance, soft surface, while a generous main lawn offers space for play, complemented by a flourishing herb garden near the kitchen.
The dunes feature unique spaces like a sunken fire pit and an elevated viewing platform, with hardy native plants providing privacy without obstructing the beautiful views.
The garden also incorporates elements of the homeowners’ family business, with signature precast concrete retaining walls and feature walls strategically placed throughout. These walls guide the eye toward the sea while adding structure. Their purposeful yet informal arrangement interacts with the curvilinear planting areas, creating pathways, screens and retaining walls that define and connect different garden spaces.
The Result
The home’s three levels — driveway at the top, lounge on the second, and a basement level with boat storage — are now perfectly integrated with the garden. The finished garden at Raumati Beach is a thoughtfully designed beachside escape that balances functionality, durability and beauty.
This is a garden that effortlessly caters to family life, while embracing the unique character of its coastal setting. It’s a versatile space designed for play, relaxation and entertaining, all while celebrating those stunning, intentionally preserved views of the Kapiti Coast.
Key Plant List:
Main garden:
- Phormium sp. (Coastal Flax)
- Meryta sinclairii (Puka)
- Apodasmia similis (Oioi)
- Coprosma repens (Taupata)
- Astelia chathamica (Coastal Astelia)
- Poa cita (Silver Tussock)
- Scleranthus uniflorus (Cushion Plant)
- Corokia ‘Geentey’s Green’
- Euphorbia glauca
- Ficus pumila (Creeping Fig)
- Muehlenbeckia astonii (Shrubby Tororaro)
- Arthropodium cirratum (Rengarenga Lily)
- Pimelea prostrata (NZ Sand Daphne)
- Hedges: Olearia paniculata & Griselinia littoralis
- Specimen tree: Metrosideros excelsa (Pōhutukawa) & Myoporum laetum (Ngaio)
Driveway & entry garden:
- Coprosma virescens
- Pseudopanax ferox (Lancewood)
- Libertia peregrinans
- Tecomanthe speciosa
