TAKE A GARDEN TOUR

Since 2005 Flaxmere Garden near Hawarden in North Canterbury has been recognised as a six-star “Garden of National signifi cance” by the New Zealand Gardens Trust.

Alabour of love for one family for more than 50 years, the garden will on display on 20 November as a fundraiser for The Court Theatre. Penny and John Zino started creating Flaxmere Garden back in 1966. The challenges that confronted them then are still constant threats. This is a harsh environment where extreme weather conditions such as wind, drought, snowfalls and late frosts can all wreck havoc on the garden. It is a testament therefore to the Zinos’ dedication over so many years that Flaxmere today is without question, a world class garden.

Some visiting Flaxmere will simply enjoy the moment and appreciate the beauty of what they see. Others will have the knowledge to see how the wonderful e ects of all the various garden areas have been created. And there are so many areas to see from the homestead garden and house lawn to the swimming pools garden, the rose garden, the native garden, the perennial and grasses garden, not forgetting the woodland and pond environments.

Working at Flaxmere is gardening on a huge scale beneath the awesome shadow of the Southern Alps. It’s big picture gardening – no fussy weeding here – and even a wheelbarrow isn’t much use. You need great drays to transport plants, fertiliser and pea straw as well as to dump frequent mountains of rubbish. There are dozens of roses to be pruned as well as numerous hydrangeas and that’s before even looking at the large trees to be thinned, trimmed and sometimes felled. A visit here will have you in awe of the thousands of hours of blood, sweat, tears and even heartache that have been poured into this inspiring high country garden.

The visit in November organised by The Friends of The Court Theatre, is when Flaxmere Garden is at its best with most things in full bloom. The roses and the peonies will be a riot of beautiful colour, but there will still be some rhododendrons fl owering and lots of fresh new lime-green budding trees. Hostas, euphorbia, primula candelabra, foxgloves and delphiniums will all add to the colour and vibrancy of Flaxmere in late spring. Source reference: Flaxmere Garden –50 years of extremes

INFORMATION

Open Day at Flaxmere Garden 128 Westenras Rd, Hawarden. Sunday 20 November, 10am to 4pm. Tickets $50 per person, including a beverage on arrival. Food available for purchase.

TICKETS AVAILABLE VIA WWW.COURTTHEATRE.ORG.NZ.

Are you dreaming of a better kitchen? Making dream kitchens comes true.

Specialising in renovating, replacing and designing kitchens, Dream Doors Kitchens knows how to create a fabulous and functional space in the heart of your home. Specialising in renovating, replacing and designing kitchens, Dream Doors Kitchens knows how to create a fabulous and functional space in the heart of your home.

dreamdoors.co.nz | Ph: 03 338 1081 | adrian@dreamdoors.co.nz dreamdoors.co.nz | Ph: 03 338 1081 | adrian@dreamdoors.co.nz

FOR ALL YOUR JOINERY REQUIREMENTS IN THE HOME...

25a Lunns Road, Middleton, Christchurch. P. 03 343 0360 E. info@mhj.co.nz www.mhj.co.nz

PROFESSIONALISM | STRENGTH | KNOWLEDGE

BY IAN KNOTT play

Y O U R

W A Y

If you’re bored with the endless selection of black gaming and computer accessories, the new G Aurora collection is for you.

The wizards at Logitech have recognised that gamers like their individuality - and with 50 percent of the gaming community being female, the need for some colourful accessories has never been so prevalent.

With the release of the Logitech G Aurora collection, customisable, colourful choices are now at your fi ngertips. And perhaps best of all, the whole collection is certifi ed carbon neutral.

The range includes the G735 Wireless Headset, G715 and G713 Keyboards, both with funky cloud palm rest, G707 Wireless Mouse (purposebuilt for smaller hands), and a host of accessories to customise your peripherals.

The base products are white, but pink or green faceplates, key-caps and ear-pads can be added which, when combined with the built-in fully-adjustable RGB lighting, you can get this collection looking pretty snazzy.

You can even get matching mouse mats to fi nish o your look. Thanks to Logitech, we have an amazing prize pack to give away to one lucky Metropol reader. Prize includes: G715 Keyboard, G705 Mouse, Pink Key-caps, Green Mouse Mat. Total value over $700! Head to Metropol’s Facebook page to enter.

We’ve got you re-covered

No job too big or small

100s of fabrics to choose from

424 ST ASAPH ST • P. 371 7500 www.qualityfurniture.co.nz

Hours: 7am-4.30pm Mon-Thurs, Fridays 8am to Midday, or by appointment with Keith 0275 663 909 McDONALD HARTSHORNE

Be the artist you always wanted to be

Let us show you how!

Term 5 Adult classes: Beginning Monday 17 October. Places are filling fast - BOOK NOW!

03 354 4438 • 465 Papanui Road • artmetro@xtra.co.nz • www.artmetro.co.nz

WE COVER ALL ASPECTS OF Electronic Security

FOR HOME OR BUSINESS REST ASSURED IN OUR GOVERNMENT SECURITY LICENCE

AUTOMATIC GATES, INTERCOMS, ALARM SYSTEMS, ACCESS CONTROL, & CCTV. YOU’RE IN SAFE HANDS!

awards FOUR TOP

PHOTOGRAPHY SARAH ROWLANDS WORCESTER ST

Designer Sam Connell of Figure & Ground won four awards at the 2022 Regional ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards.

AMerivale development, Aikmans Road, by Connell received a Highly Commended in the Residential Multi-Unit Dwelling category. These six distinctive townhouses showcase a contemporary aesthetic and desirable street appeal. Clad in a combination of textured plaster and cedar, the warmth of timber carries through the interior to fl oor and joinery fi nishes and fi nally to the more informal outdoor decking. ADNZ judges say the contemporary form of the gable creates a simple, well-proportioned street frontage, articulating the residential scale of each townhouse. “Floor to ceiling openings create light fi lled, spacious interior spaces and this scale is carried through interior fi nishes to give a sense of luxurious calm,” they add. Connell also received a Highly Commended in the Residential MultiUnit Dwelling category for a project on Worcester Street, a Commended in the same category for a project on Innes Road and a Commended in the Residential New Home Between 150m2 and 300m2 category for a St Albans home.

AIKMANS RD

KNOWLES ST

ARCHITECTURALLY MINDED | PERSONABLY GROUNDED

Petrie Construction is an Architectural building company specialising in new builds, renovations and multi-dwelling developments.

INNES RD

PETRIE CONSTRUCTION

Credit also goes to the builder, Petrie Construction, an architectural building company specialising in new builds, renovations and multi-dwelling developments.

Established in April 2017, it is owned and operated by Christchurch couple, Samuel and Honor Petrie. “We believe investing in family and people is both a privilege and rewarding,” they say. “Looking after you, your family and your investment is the foundation of our business; from understanding your needs to delivering high quality craftsmanship and choosing trusted sub-contractors.

in concrete INCREDIBLE HOME

Canterbury designer Greg Young, of Young Architects won two top honours at the 2022 Regional ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards, celebrating the greatest architectural designs the region has to offer.

Described as “an incredible concrete family home”, Scarborough Béton Brut, perched on the on the hills overlooking Scarborough, won the Regional Award for Residential Interiors, and was Highly Commended for a Residential New Home over 300m2.

Concrete proved a necessity on the very steep, geotechnically challenging site, explains Greg.

“We chose to embrace it, keeping it naked and raw, expressing the variations in texture and colour inherent within its composition as well as a result of the construction methodology to place it.”

The end result is a multi-awardwinning, spacious home that is e cient, permanent, and easy to live in, with a design that focuses on being a part of its environment rather than dominating it.

Judges commented, “Timber shuttering, selected for its strong grain, has been expressed in the surface fi nish of the concrete walls, giving an aesthetic that is raw and natural, like the environment the building is situated in.

“The concrete in the fl oor is full of depth, coloured and polished to give a counterpoint. Considered planning has created a home where occupants can embrace the vastness of the view as well as retreat and take refuge,” they said.

ARCHITECTURAL BUILDERS

Scarborough Béton Brut was built by Hoogervorst Architectural Builders, a company that specialises in one-o architecturally-designed new homes, and also as high-spec renovations and extensions. Based in Christchurch, the family-owned fi rm has been building architecturally-designed homes throughout Canterbury for more than 25 years and has a strong reputation for its rigorous attention to detail. “We take enormous pride in creating unique, stunning homes and making the architect and the client’s dream a reality,” says Nick Hoogervorst.

three awards THREE PROJECTS

Garry Mayne of Studio 4 Architects Ltd won three awards for three projects at the 2022 Regional ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards, including a Commended in the Residential New Home over 300m2 category for this home (pictured) in Timaru.

Located within a residential area with a rolling rural outlook in Timaru, the client brief was for a modern entertainer’s home, suited to a social lifestyle. They wanted a home that sat comfortably on the site, to be functional and have outdoor living spaces that connected with the views and can be used year-round.

It has a central kitchen that acts as the heart of the home with access to the outdoor areas on both sides of the house. Contrasting and striking low maintenance materials were used.

Judges noted that the modernist family home, in a residential area with rural outlook, is an excellent example of how considered architecture can deliver on the needs of a growing family within the confi nes of a sub divided site.

Studio 4 Architects Ltd (previously Chilton & Mayne) has a collective portfolio of over 75 years’ experience. “We take pride in creating enduring spaces for our clients to enjoy. For us great design is about passion, an extension of who we are and what we believe in,” says Garry.

LIGHTFORGE PHOTOGRAPHY

SHORE CONSTRUCTION

Project builder Shore Construction is family owned and operated, with more than 25 years’ experience servicing the residential, commercial, and rural sectors in the Canterbury, Mackenzie and Central Otago regions.

From initial feasibility, planning, design, and consenting, through to project management, construction and completion, the company handles the entire build process, from residential renovations right through to complete new home builds, and shop fi t-outs to commercial design and build projects, of various sizes and complexities.

Who says all building companies are the same?