Supreme Winner and Landscape of the Year, plus Softscape and Maintenance honours, Landscapes of Distinction Awards 2025. Auckland. By Second Nature.

At the end of a long driveway, Urban Sanctuary unfolds space after space, an eclectic mix of flowering plants, shrubs, specimen trees and grasses set against rock features, stepping stones and expansive lawns. The brief was a garden in the style of Italian designer Luciano Giubbelei, interpreted masterfully by Second Nature for a Cheshire Architects home.

Gnarled specimen olives and sandstone give a Mediterranean feel and a sense of maturity. Translating a drier, seasonal European palette into humid Auckland brings real challenges of drainage, irrigation and pest control, met through detailed, ongoing care. The judges called it maintenance not just as upkeep, but as stewardship, and were unanimous in nominating it for the Supreme Award.

Read why the judges gave it this award.

Why it matters

Every Registered Master Landscaper has earned the right to carry the mark, so the professional you hire is current, accountable, and backed by a national association that stands behind its work. Find a Registered Master Landscaper at masterlandscapers.org.nz.

Project credits

Member: Second Nature. Designer: Damian Wendelborn. Architecture: Cheshire Architects. Photography: Sam Hartnett Photography. Landscapes of Distinction Awards 2025.