Sheer love of their work motivates the Design + Garden Landscapes team to keep creating extraordinary outdoor spaces.
Since Wayne and Ella Butson set up the business in Dunedin in 1991, it has won the Landscape of the Year twice for Southern gardens.
They have an awesome team, some of whom have been there for over 20 years, including Construction manager Paul Gillies who has been with Design + Garden Landscapes since 1996.
Throughout this time, they have gathered a great skill base to carry out award-winning projects, and they have some of the most fun and talented team about.
Wayne established his own business to combine his passions of design, plants, and construction.
They are members of the national industry organisation Registered Master Landscapers and have been for over 25 years. Design + Garden Landscapes have been involved in the Registered Master Landscapers National Awards programme since 2002.
Winning the awards has reinforced the team’s commitment to produce ‘‘some of the most awesome gardens throughout Otago and Southland”.
‘‘These gardens proved the great relationship between the client, designer, and the build. When working together, we can create some fabulous gardens.’’
From its base at 205 St Andrew St, Design + Garden Landscapes travels to on-site consultations and prepares landscape and planting plans, then carry’s out the garden builds, which can include retaining walls, decks, paving, water features, fireplaces, spas, and other creative elements and can finish off with planting.
As well as residential projects, it completes commercial, rural, and school developments. The business is the approved Otago installer for Stoneset, a resin-based permeable paving product.
Over the years materials and trends have changed the landscape both with design and how people interact with their outdoors.
There is now more focus on year-round use of outdoor spaces with outdoor fires and overhead structures, and growing vegetables in raised beds.
People want to spend less time working in the garden, so artificial lawns and more hard surfaces are taking over from greenspace, although careful plant selection can allow for minimal work.
The Butsons have ensured their business has remained small and family based.
‘‘We make sure fun is had along the way, as the work is physically hard and demanding.
‘‘We are proud of all our team, and everyone enjoys seeing the end result of a happy client and a job well done.”
