Having developed a passion for plants from a very early age, Debbie Hardy says she draws inspiration from Brazilian landscape designer Roberto Burle Marx. Marx specialises in Brazilian plants, as well as incorporating patterns into the concrete and planting, and she adopts these principals with her own designs. Working with the climate of where you live is a practical focus for Hardy, and “the position of the property in relation to the sun is the first thing I check when on any site.”

She has recently designed a garden that is very close to her heart; her own.  With the aim of evoking an exotic feel, she has created her very own subtropical oasis in Auckland’s Western Springs. Her feminine and refined flare is evident in every corner of her garden, and the subtropical style is exemplified through the ample planting of evergreens. One of Hardy’s favourite features of her beloved home is the 90 year-old majestic oak tree, one of the main reasons they purchased the property.