Looking for garden design inspiration that suits your home and lifestyle?
From coastal retreats to country gardens and modern courtyards, New Zealand gardeners are embracing a wide mix of styles — each with its own character, colour, and form.
Whatever your setting, the right hedge completes the picture — instantly adding depth, definition, and privacy.
From native-inspired landscapes to contemporary courtyards and Mediterranean terraces, here are some of the most-loved garden styles across New Zealand — and the hedges that help bring each one to life.
Relaxed, wind-tolerant, and effortlessly New Zealand.
Open, breezy, and resilient, coastal gardens celebrate simplicity and texture. You’ll often find a mix of sand-hardy natives and silvery, salt-tolerant foliage — think Griselinia, Corokia, Pittosporum, and coastal grasses. Muted greens, greys, and whites pair beautifully with driftwood tones and gravel paths.
Hedges such as Griselinia littoralis ‘Broadway Mint’ or ‘Ardmore Emerald’ create lush, salt-tolerant boundaries that thrive in wind and sun. For finer texture, Corokia ‘Clover’ (PVR) or ‘Geenty’s Green’ bring a coastal-native feel that looks right at home beside pōhutukawa or flax.
Bold lines, architectural structure, and evergreen form.
Modern gardens rely on crisp lines and living architecture — polished concrete, smooth decking, and sculptural planting. The palette is restrained, favouring shape and contrast over colour.
For crisp, sculptural hedging, Ficus tuffi offers sleek, dense greenery and instant height (best in frost-free or sheltered sites). Ilex ‘Black Shadow’ makes a strong, dark-green backdrop for bold foliage plants, while Fairy Magnolia® Cream adds a softer, more organic texture that catches the light.
Compact, refined, and full of texture.
In compact spaces, design relies on texture, balance, and evergreen structure. Polished concrete, timber decking, and sculptural pots define the palette — a few well-chosen species doing a lot of work.
Euonymus ‘Emerald Gem’ forms a neat low hedge for planters, while Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ brings winter colour. For instant green screening in tight spaces, Ficus tuffi delivers lush foliage and a relaxed, tropical feel without overwhelming smaller areas.
Timeless symmetry and year-round structure.
Elegant and ordered, formal gardens rely on repetition, clipped lines, and evergreen strength. Box hedges frame paths and parterres, often paired with topiary or classical statuary.
For low borders and sharp definition, Buxus ‘Green Gem’ or Buxus japonica are timeless. For taller structure, Ilex ‘Hendersonii’ or Laurus nobilis ‘Verdi’ can be clipped into strong lines or grown as pleached screens to frame courtyards and garden rooms. Their evergreen sheen holds form all year.
Romantic abundance anchored by evergreen charm.
Cottage gardens layer fragrance and colour in joyful profusion — roses, lavender, foxgloves, delphiniums, and hydrangeas spilling over winding paths.
To give all that softness definition, Camellia sasanqua ‘Setsugekka’ or ‘Paradise Pearl’ make perfect evergreen frames. Their delicate blooms blend beautifully among pastel borders, while Michelia figo (Port Wine Magnolia) adds subtle fragrance near paths and seating areas.
Expansive, relaxed, and connected to the land.
Spacious and welcoming, country gardens blend lawns, flowering borders, fruit trees, and long gravel drives. Rustic materials like timber, brick, and stone keep the look timeless.
For reliable boundary planting that still feels natural, Griselinia littoralis ‘Canterbury’ and Pittosporum ralphii ‘Stephens Island’ are excellent choices. Around entrances or garden rooms, Laurus nobilis ‘Pride of Provence’ provides a green backbone that ties spaces together.
Elegant formality softened by flowering borders.
Balanced and timeless, English gardens pair clipped evergreens with flowering perennials — roses, foxgloves, and catmint framed by strong green lines.
Buxus japonica or ‘Green Gem’ create perfect low Living Edges for parterres and path borders. For upright framework and symmetry, Camellia sasanqua 'Paradise Venessa' or 'Paradise Pearl' add graceful greenery and soft seasonal colour. For extra height, Podocarpus totara 'Ardmore Green' adds a quintessential yew feel.
Sun-loving simplicity and relaxed texture.
Think warm stone, gravel underfoot, and the scent of herbs in the air. Mediterranean gardens thrive on sunlight and texture — lavender, rosemary, olive, bay, and citrus defining the palette.
Pleached Olea europaea ‘El Greco’ instantly evokes that relaxed Southern European feel, while Laurus nobilis ‘Verdi’ and Photinia ‘Red Robin’ bring dense greenery or flushes of red new growth. Citrus ‘Tahitian Lime’ works beautifully as a mid-height hedge near entertaining areas, offering both fragrance and fruit.
Lush layering, bold foliage, and vibrant texture.
Subtropical gardens mix broad leaves, colour, and drama — bananas, canna lilies, palms, and bromeliads surrounded by glossy green form.
Ficus tuffi is a star here, delivering vibrant form and thriving in warmth and humidity. Fairy Magnolia® Cream and Griselinia littoralis 'Broadway Mint' also work beautifully to form evergreen walls around courtyards and pools.
Practical beauty, designed for harvest and delight.
The charm of an edible garden lies in its order and abundance — herbs, citrus, and seasonal produce within reach. Structure keeps it tidy and easy to navigate.
Compact hedges such as Buxus ‘Green Gem’ or Euonymus ‘Emerald Gem’ define beds and paths, while Citrus ‘Tahitian Lime’ or Laurus nobilis ‘Pride of Provence’ combine ornamental value with edible usefulness.
Serene, layered planting beneath gentle light.
For gardens with morning sun or filtered light, a woodland-style approach feels calm and natural. Under trees, combine ferns, hostas, hellebores, and hydrangeas with hedging for definition.
Hedges like Camellia sasanqua ‘Setsugekka’ or ‘Paradise Pearl’ perform well in partial shade, adding evergreen foliage and seasonal bloom. Michelia figo thrives in semi-shade, bringing glossy leaves and subtle scent.
Tip: Even shade-tolerant hedges need some direct sun — aim for three or more hours daily for healthy, dense growth. Avoid planting too close to large tree roots, which compete for moisture and nutrients; raised beds or planters help hedges establish more easily.
Grounded in texture, resilience, and place.
Native gardens celebrate texture and balance with the land. You’ll often see flax, cabbage trees, mānuka, and grasses arranged to echo natural landscapes.
Griselinia littoralis ‘Ardmore Emerald’ and Pittosporum crassifolium ‘Green Lustre’ bring solid framework and presence, while Corokia x virgata ‘Frosted Chocolate’ and ‘Geenty’s Green’ provide finer texture and sculptural rhythm. For taller screening, Podocarpus tōtara ‘Ardmore Green’ or ‘Matapouri Blue’ offer a strong native framework that blends beautifully with flaxes and pongas.
Tranquil spaces defined by balance and proportion.
Tranquil and restrained, Japanese-inspired gardens celebrate texture, proportion, and stillness — gravel, stone, moss, and evergreen form.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Setsugekka’ creates calm, evergreen screening. For clipped formality, Ilex Largo or Podocarpus tōtara ‘Matapouri Blue’ offer quiet order and balance.
Natural beauty that thrives with minimal effort.
Resilient and water-wise, sustainable gardens suit New Zealand’s changing climate and relaxed lifestyle. You’ll often find natives, grasses, and hardy evergreens that look great with little upkeep.
Hard-working options such as Corokia x virgata ‘Frosted Chocolate’ or ‘Geenty’s Green’ thrive in sun and wind, while Pittosporum ‘Irish Luck’ or Griselinia littoralis ‘Broadway Mint’ offer dense, dependable screening.
Living architecture for privacy and style.
For structure, height, and instant sophistication, pleached hedges are unbeatable — ideal above fences or along walkways for a formal, elegant effect.
Our pleached Ficus tuffi remains the most popular for its lush foliage and fast growth, while Laurus nobilis ‘Verdi’, Camellia sasanqua ‘Paradise Venessa’, and Olea europaea ‘El Greco’ offer timeless alternatives for courtyards, driveways, or property boundaries.
Of course, there are no strict rules in garden design. The best gardens are personal — shaped by the plants you love, the space you have, and how you like to live in it.
From timeless formality to natural freedom, every garden tells a story — and the right hedge helps shape it.
Whatever your garden style, a well-chosen instant hedge transforms space — creating privacy, rhythm, and a sense of maturity from day one.
Ready to bring your garden style to life?
Explore the possibilities in our Living Walls™ instant hedge collection — including Camellia, Griselinia, Corokia, Ficus, and more.
We’ve grown your hedge for you.
