Icon - Arrow LeftAn icon we use to indicate a rightwards action. Icon - Arrow RightAn icon we use to indicate a leftwards action. Icon - External LinkAn icon we use to indicate a button link is external. Icon - MessageThe icon we use to represent an email action. Icon - Down ChevronUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - CloseUsed to indicate a close action. Icon - Dropdown ArrowUsed to indicate a dropdown. Icon - Location PinUsed to showcase a location on a map. Icon - Zoom OutUsed to indicate a zoom out action on a map. Icon - Zoom InUsed to indicate a zoom in action on a map. Icon - SearchUsed to indicate a search action. Icon - EmailUsed to indicate an emai action. Icon - FacebookFacebooks brand mark for use in social sharing icons. flipboard Icon - InstagramInstagrams brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - PinterestPinterests brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - TwitterTwitters brand mark for use in social sharing icons. Icon - Check MarkA check mark for checkbox buttons.
You are reading

Landscaping Ideas: Mid-century Minimalism in Christchurch, New Zealand

Search

Start typing to search...

Search
Pear TreesIssue 31 — Gardens That Matter

Landscaping Ideas: Mid-century Minimalism in Christchurch, New Zealand

May 8, 2020

“The garden is a very important part of the living environment of the home,” says Kristina Pickford, architectural historian and owner of the Ballantyne House, a midcentury modern house in Christchurch, New Zealand. The 300-square-meter house, designed by New Zealand modernist architect Sir Miles Warren in 1959, sits on 2,642 square meters of land in the southern island of New Zealand.

Owners Pickford and Michael Wolfe have cultivated the garden, working with local gardeners, horticulturalists, and arborists since purchasing the property from the Ballantyne family in 2009. Maintaining the integrity of the garden and mature trees, the owners updated the garden with a steel pergola, raised vegetable beds, storm and wastewater drains, and an automatic irrigation system. Here’s a look at the gardens and property.

Photography courtesy of Mary Gaudin and Sam Hartnett as noted.

The house is located on a long gravel driveway. It&#8\2\17;s invisible from the street and neighbors, thanks to  layers of planted foliage. Photograph by Mary Gaudin.
Above: The house is located on a long gravel driveway. It’s invisible from the street and neighbors, thanks to  layers of planted foliage. Photograph by Mary Gaudin.
Christchurch, known for its neo-Gothic and modern architecture, lost much of its heritage in earthquakes in \20\10. Pickford and Wolfe were lucky to restore the house to its original design. Shown here is a cross section of the timber and concrete frame of the house. Photograph by Mary Gaudin.
Above: Christchurch, known for its neo-Gothic and modern architecture, lost much of its heritage in earthquakes in 2010. Pickford and Wolfe were lucky to restore the house to its original design. Shown here is a cross section of the timber and concrete frame of the house. Photograph by Mary Gaudin.
A steel architect-designed gate. The house sits on the southeast corner of the property, allowing the lawn and outdoor dining areas a northeastern orientation. The bedroom wing has total protection from the easterly wind of the Canterbury plain. Photograph by Mary Gaudin.
Above: A steel architect-designed gate. The house sits on the southeast corner of the property, allowing the lawn and outdoor dining areas a northeastern orientation. The bedroom wing has total protection from the easterly wind of the Canterbury plain. Photograph by Mary Gaudin.
&#8\2\20;The house has a strong relationship with its setting with carefully positioned windows framing the verdant garden landscape,&#8\2\2\1; says Pickford. Photograph by Mary Gaudin.
Above: “The house has a strong relationship with its setting with carefully positioned windows framing the verdant garden landscape,” says Pickford. Photograph by Mary Gaudin.
New Zealand natives and stone pavers accent the small outbuilding. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.
Above: New Zealand natives and stone pavers accent the small outbuilding. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.
An abundant vegetable garden with espaliered heritage apples and pears along the back wall. &#8\2\20;The garden is a refuge from the city, a place to relax and recharge. I enjoy working in the garden and we manage most of it ourselves,&#8\2\2\1; says Pickford. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.
Above: An abundant vegetable garden with espaliered heritage apples and pears along the back wall. “The garden is a refuge from the city, a place to relax and recharge. I enjoy working in the garden and we manage most of it ourselves,” says Pickford. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.
The semi-detached study functions as an office or guest room. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.
Above: The semi-detached study functions as an office or guest room. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.
Interior of the semi-detached outbuilding. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.
Above: Interior of the semi-detached outbuilding. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.
A steel cantilevered pergola on the northwest elevation of the house creates a sheltered hallway and patio. “The architect, Sir Miles Warren, consciously designed homes with a sense of containment and enclosure to protect the inhabitants from the cold, flat Canterbury plain where Christchurch is located,&#8\2\2\1; says Pickford. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.
Above: A steel cantilevered pergola on the northwest elevation of the house creates a sheltered hallway and patio. “The architect, Sir Miles Warren, consciously designed homes with a sense of containment and enclosure to protect the inhabitants from the cold, flat Canterbury plain where Christchurch is located,” says Pickford. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.
A herringbone brick path surrounds the perimeter of the house. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.
Above: A herringbone brick path surrounds the perimeter of the house. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.
The trimmed lawn slopes down to a stream that runs through the property. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.
Above: The trimmed lawn slopes down to a stream that runs through the property. Photograph by Sam Hartnett.

For more on the interiors see our post on Remodelista.

For more midcentury modern architecture see:

(Visited 2,021 times, 1 visits today)
You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.
Add to Collection
New Collection

Explore Deeper Into These Areas

Previous Post

Outermost Chair: The Original Adirondack Reborn

May 7, 2020
Next Post

Trending on Remodelista: California Dreaming

May 8, 2020

Have a Question or Comment About This Post?

Join the conversation

Related Stories

Read all recent posts

join us on Instagram Logo

gardenista_sourcebook

Sourcebook for Cultivated Living, sister site to @remodelista
Tag us using #gardenista 🌿🌱

Gardens & Outdoor Living

v5.0

×
Join the Remodelista Family of Websites

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.

Full Access Individual Subscription

Benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
  • Ad-free browsing environment
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99


×
Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.

Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites

For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.



Subscriber benefits include:

  • Unlimited access to all three sites
  • Weekly access to subscriber-only content
  • Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
  • Receive the full-text daily newsletters
  • All features that Members have access to
  • Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99

Become a Member at no charge

When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.

Member benefits include:

  • Access to all posts published in the past year
  • Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
  • Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
  • Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
  • Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
  • Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites

My Account

Your member profile is powered by memberstack