ShaferDesign Blog

NZ House and Garden

Itching to start a garden? Now might be the best time to design it! With Alert Level 2 in place, you’ve got a bit more time to really think about what you want in a garden. Plus, garden design also has a lot of advantages. Here are some of them:

You’ve got time on your side

Sitting down to design a garden can be a daunting task, so …

New Zealand is home to dozens of gorgeous gardens and parks, so it’s really no wonder that we also have a number of annual garden festivals.

From Taranaki to Christchurch, here are some of the most colourful garden festivals that you can look forward to this year:

Taranaki Garden Festival

Dates: 30th October – 8th November 2020

The Taranaki Garden Festival is arguably the most famous garden festival in the country. The annual …

This is the season for feijoas!   One of the treats of an Autumn Garden!!

Feijoas are not only are delicious, but they also make excellent landscape plants with wonderful thick silvery foliage. Great for screening plants and hedges.  They are tolerant of many soil types and will tolerate some wind and light frosts.  Remember to prune soon after fruiting or before new seasons growth as they flower at the base …

While we are all at home for at least another few weeks, it might be time to give your garden some love. There is great solace for us as humans in being in a garden and closer to nature.  Our little patch of the earth might really appreciate the care and attention that we could give it right now and we will definitely benefit. I have always thought the joy …

If you find yourself getting to the end of each summer thinking ‘next year I’m definitely getting a swimming pool’, then now’s the perfect time to start planning what you really want from a pool.
The right swimming pool design will work for your family situation increasing opportunities for the kids to play and reducing time driving to the pool or beach. It should also work for your property …

Our job as landscape designers and landscape architects is to design a garden that meets your needs, enhances your lifestyle and the architecture of your home. We also need to choose plants that will flourish in the environment we have created. Choosing the right landscape design gardener to bring this to life can make or break your creative garden project.

What makes a great landscape gardener?

The final design creation only …

As a client the most important thing to remember when hiring a landscape designer is to know that this is your garden and it is your chance to express who you are, from start to finish.  By using our “Shafer Design Landscape Design Process”, we will ensure you are proud of your garden for years to come.

What is your landscaping brief?

Thinking about what you want, and bringing your brief to …

How to avoid ruining your beautiful new swimming pool with an ugly fence design!

You have a beautiful pool in mind, you’ve gathered together all your inspiration pictures, however if you do not take the right steps during your design process the reality is the swimming pool fencing can ruin it. Whilst your design is being developed you must take into account how the fencing will work with your swimming …

Swimming pool fencing can make or break a swimming pool design.  If it is handled well, the finished result will not detract from your view of the pool or your outdoor living. Below are a few ideas, and tips for a stylish swimming pool fencing solution.

Basic Pool Fencing rules

The basic swimming pool fencing rules require a 1200mm minimum height barrier around the pool enclosure.  There …

It’s hot!! Perhaps you have just had your summer holidays and are back at home and you’ve decided you want to cool off in your own home……. you want a swimming pool!! ….. But where do you start? 

Start with some really good quality design advice. A pool is a high value item and, as with all investments, it is always advisable to get some quality advice – hire a swimming pool designer.   

Every square metre of land in most suburban …