Finding peace between bush & sea in rural Mangwhai.

Sculpt Gardens used low maintenance, drought tolerant mass plantings. Pops of colour peep through the grasses. Hardy South African plants such as proteas and leucadendrons add splashes of red, contrasting with the silvers and greens of reeds and grasses such as oi oi and a lomandra called ‘Lime Tuff’. The designer's favourite is gaura, a hardy plant with small pink or white flowers that bloom for five to six months. “I’m not a purist. I love natives, but they can lack colour and diversity. I like to add some ‘wow’."