EVERGREEN

LET LOVE GROW

Buying a first home is a huge milestone, but creating a garden together is the gift that keeps on giving.

Emily Hastie, Landscape Architect, Kamo Marsh Landscape Architects kamomarsh.co.nz As we approach spring and the start of another growing season, we consider yet again the benefits of working in your garden for well-being, and the same is true for the health of our relationships. As a couple, sharing the planning and creation of a garden is a fulfilling and productive way to spend well-earned time together.

In their book The Marriage Garden, authors H. Wallace Goddard and James S Marshall put it like this, “Cultivating a good marriage is like two people growing a healthy garden. To achieve a full and satisfying harvest, the gardeners must work in harmony with one another, using the right tools, gardening wisdom, and a willing spirit. The gardening process teaches us vital – and sometimes painful – lessons about life. The struggle is worth it: both good marriages and healthy gardens can enrich and delight us. But neither happens by chance. Let’s break ground!”

Working together to plan your garden requires you to share ideas, discuss budgets, compromise, and come to an agreement, helping to put in place the building blocks for a successful future.

First home Whether starting afresh with a clean slate or rejuvenating an existing garden, a new home represents an opportunity to create something that is truly yours. Be sure to take the time and prepare a plan, follow it and, if necessary, stage the work to make your vision achievable. In the planning stages, think about what you want to use the garden for and how much time you will be spending out there. Planting memories Your garden can become central to your family’s story by marking significant milestones with plantings or using your garden as the venue for special events. You should factor this into your plans. You may want to add a favourite, significant tree to your wedding register or hold a symbolic planting to celebrate your marriage or the birth of a child. This way your garden will grow alongside your family.

Image: Lightforge

Time to nurture Set aside time for both developing your garden and relaxing to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Working together on a project is a great way to strengthen your bond and allow you to enjoy your space. As well as adding value to your property, hard work and a sense of shared achievement will fortify your relationship and give you a beautiful space to hang out and enjoy together.

SAY I DO IN WANAKA

Wanaka Wedding Collective is the perfect place to begin planning your dream wedding in a South Island jewel. Not only is Wanaka a jawdroppingly stunning location, but its local wedding community is world-class. Finding the right ones is easy. Put your feet up, pour yourself a cuppa, and check out Wanaka’s amazing wedding vendors in Wanaka Wedding Collective’s online directory. It’s a great resource and a one-stop-shop for your wedding planning, helping you find the very best.

The Wanaka wedding suppliers listed in this directory are the best in their field, offering everything from venues to food vendors, makeup and hair, even celebrants, photographers, and wedding planners. Together they will make your day unforgettable. Being long-time locals

and professionals in the wedding game means they all work as a team to deliver a seamless day; their collective approach will ensure your event is magical! Fantastic wedding planning hints and tips mean that the Wanaka Wedding Collective should be the first stop no matter where you are planning to tie the knot.

The Collective holds an annual wedding show right in the heart of the town. More than just an expo, this October, over Labour weekend, Wanaka will be hosting a threeday wedding extravaganza, as well as the return of its popular online event.

Labour Day weekend presents the perfect time to visit Wanaka for a fun-filled three-day event and a chance to connect with fabulous wedding vendors while being inspired. This is the chance to kick your wedding planning into high gear, with the very best in the business all under one roof. The Wanaka Wedding Fair holds a traditional wedding fair, a day of wedding planning workshops, and venue open days so you can tick off the whole to-do list in one weekend.

Visit the Wanaka Wedding Collective’s website to learn more about the fairs and how to plan your perfect wedding.

wanakaweddingcollective.co.nz

BUILDING OF THE MONTH - MT HUTT BASE LODGE EXTENSIONS

Enriching the way people live, work and play through architecture and interior design

+64 3 366 5445 design@dalman.co.nz dalman.co.nz

THE ESSENTIALS

WORDS Liam Stretch

Some things go out of fashion, but a welldressed man is not one of them. Thankfully, 3 Wise Men at Merivale Mall has been there to ensure the fellas in our lives are in top shape from head to toe. The brand, started by three mates (you guessed it, the ‘wise men’) back in 2004, was established with the aim to make shirt shopping, in particular, a pleasure and not a chore. All these years and 10 stores throughout the country later, it stocks everything from dress shoes to ties, suits to cufflinks. Jess, store manager at the brand’s Merivale Mall location, has been with the company for six years and really enjoys being in the heart of Merivale and the mall itself. The warm, contemporary space fits seamlessly into its surroundings. She cites the brand’s ethos as a reason for her long-time dedication to the high-end brand. “3 Wise Men’s company values and attitude are what makes the business stand out from the rest. We are encouraged to strive to be the best we can be and acknowledged for our contributions to the company,” she says. With options across the board in terms of high-end men’s clothing, from casual shirts and chinos to more formal suits, ties, and shoes, Jess believes there is something to suit all tastes and types.

“We target a wide range of customers here, whether you need a new shirt for an important board room meeting, [a] hot date on a Friday night, or something to wear to the Sunday BBQ.” As spring has sprung and the season of weddings is beginning, Jess said it’s key that men make their mark, and a great outfit is the first step. She says that a complementary suit and shirt combo is the one thing every guy needs for a day of nuptials. One accessory is a must, though – a ‘3 Wise Men leather belt’. Suits are investment pieces and should serve you well in her opinion, and the way 3 Wise Men does things means that a good suit will work for you beyond the wedding day, business trip, or networking event.

“Our suits are 100 per cent merino wool and come with two pairs of trousers, which doubles the lifetime of the suit,” she says.

On top of this quality, Jess says that customers will be treated right and visitors can expect exceptional and friendly service.

“We all enjoy helping customers find what they are looking for, and we will go above and beyond to ensure this; after all, this is what we do best!”

Jess says relationships are an essential part of the 3 Wise Men ethos – hence many customers have been with them since the brand’s beginning all those years ago in 2004.

merivalemall.co.nz