STEPHEN JOHNSON LANDSCAPES

More than two decades have gone into creating this lush garden which unfolds over three tiers It’s no secret that artists will often extend their creativity into their domestic surroundings.

Step into the beautifully designed garden of glass artists Ben and Suzanne Hanly and you’ll see what I mean.

Suzanne’s passion for plants is abundantly clear as she leads me through the garden’s terraces and lawns, spread out over three levels. The front garden is on the top level, a paved rectangular space bordered by the street, the house, the couple’s Glassworks studio and the house next door. Here the layout is formal, with a rectangular pond on a direct axis with the front door and beds edged with box hedging laid out in a parterre pattern, inspired by the couple’s love of Mediterranean garden...

Key features of this garden are the walls, steps and paths connecting the three levels, all built by Suzanne’s brother, Stephen Johnson.

Particularly impressive is the long stone staircase that takes you down to the lowest level. Brachyscome flowering daisies soften the edge of the steps, their blue blooms making a vivid contrast to the orange bird of paradise flowers alongside.

An enormous dragon tree (Dracaena draco) is the centrepiece of the parterre. A variety of trees in the front garden, including a row of evergreen magnolias along the driveway, create a leafy canopy for vireya rhododendron, helleborus and bergenia. In the sunnier spots Suzanne has planted rugosa roses and she’s in the process of adding more flowering species here to attract bees.

Article and photos courtesy of homestolove.co.nz