Visionary garden far from cross-purposes

Crossfields, a lifestyle property on the Tukituki Road is one of my favourite gardens in Hawke's Bay.
It is situated on a gentle slope facing Napier with a view that sweeps to the snow-capped Kaweka range. Beautifully crafted limestone walls circle a wide expanse of lawn to the side of the house while a ha-ha runs along the front edge so there is nothing to impede the view.
Its former owners moved here from Nuhaka in northern Hawke's Bay in 1997 bringing with them a lifetime of gardening experience and thousands of cuttings. The walls, paths, trees and hedges, formed the structure of the garden and over the next 13 years the garden flourished under Margie Maxwell's loving hand. She devoted herself to planting and maintaining drifts of annuals, roses and perennials, but time came to move on and they moved into town.
The new owners are a working couple who fell in love with every aspect of the property; the Steve McGavick-designed home, the landscaping, the contours of the land spreading out before them, and the view.
However, being time-constrained, it was necessary to simplify.
A considered examination of the whole garden took place. It was evident that the garden had wonderful bones and the structure would stay, however, over time the thousands of small shrubs and perennials, trees and hedges had grown and filled out. The new owners wanted simplicity and form, so these would have to go.
They employed a team of workmen with tools, trucks and tractors who spent days stripping out the unwanted growth to reveal the elegance of the property's landscaping. Large rocks and tall, slender silver birches emerged as did unexpected treasures such as a row of camellias almost obliterated by neighbouring plants. It still looks great but in a different, simpler style.
To the rear of the property a well managed vegetable garden has been established with the original citrus trees retained to provide shelter. New sculptural objects have been placed into the garden as focal points.
Many garden visitors have admired the dell beside the entrance driveway and this has been refreshed with a row of a dozen dogwood trees, cornus 'Eddie's white' planted around the upper rim. The path makes its way into the dell to a mossy stone seat where ground covers and shrubby stuff have been removed so that the multiple silver birches can be viewed in all their starkly white midwinter glory.
New owners will always put their stamp on a place and the same can be said of Crossfields' proud new owners. In any event, gardens never stay the same, always evolving with the seasons and the years. How satisfying it must be to make the garden over to one's own taste and still pay tribute to its original creator's vision by uncovering and celebrating the original landscaping.
Crossfields landscape - key points
*Lay out the site to work with the predominant wind direction, laying lawn in the most exposed area and only plant the hardiest plants there.
*Consider the contours of the site and use the shelter they provide, and provide additional shelter in the form of hedges, walls and fences. Plant trees for the future, at Crossfields the dell and driveway have scores of silver birches which are now 14 years old and looking spectacular.
*Lay limestone chip or shingle paths to provide access.
*And of course, a vegetable plot is a must.