Supreme award - Second Nature

Second Nature’s verdant Ponsonby garden project – ‘Urban Sanctuary’ – was selected for this year’s Supreme Award and won both Best Softscape Project of the Year and Best Maintenance Project of the Year

Celebrated for its serene structure, artistic planting and masterful upkeep, the ‘Urban Sanctuary’ project wowed judges across disciplines. What starts as an understated suburban driveway quickly opens into an expansive and immersive landscape, revealing one of the most detailed and refined residential gardens of the year.

“This is a garden that inspires as well as relaxes,”

the judges said. “A multi-layered environment that subtly displays its clever design, as well as its practical installation.”

Designed by Damian Wendelborn to echo the style of Italian designer Luciano Giubbilei, Urban Sanctuary blends natural rock features with curated plantings and textural lawns to create an environment where “culture and nature are in close communication”.

The judges said every element flows together with intentionality: “It’s a near-perfect combination. Rocks and stone walls, soft planting, beautiful lawns, structures made of natural products – all blending into a cohesive space that showcases the landscaper’s skill, just as much as the species within the gardens.”

Yet behind the tranquillity lies a complex logistical feat. With evolving design details, significant drainage and access challenges, and a plant palette more at home in Europe’s drier environment than Auckland’s subtropical climate, the installation phase required flexibility, technical know-how and a high degree of trust between the client and Second Nature’s team.

The result is a garden that feels both mature

and personal, with each plant placed to anchor sightlines, soften built elements and encourage exploration.

Responsive maintenance

Ongoing care has been just as important as installation. Under the stewardship of Chris Ballantyne and Second Nature’s Garden Care team, the maintenance regime has adjusted to the site’s evolving needs – particularly around irrigation.

“This is maintenance not just as upkeep but as stewardship,” the judges said. “What struck us most was the harmony across species and zones […] the attention to detail is consistent and deliberate.”