How to create a beautiful garden design

6 May 2022

Garden design is crucial to create a manageable but visually high-impact beautiful garden. Autumn and winter are the perfect time to plan your garden ahead of next spring, so now is the ideal time to get inspired, research and plan the best garden design to suit your lifestyle.

Keeping an outdoor space in a picture-perfect condition requires year-round hard work, especially if you have mixed use areas, but by designing your garden with intention, you’ll have more time to relax in it rather than being a slave to its maintenance.

Having provided customers with garden edging products NZ wide for over 20 years, we enjoy seeing our metal landscape edging used in transformational garden designs. Whether your outdoor space needs a pick-me-up, or you are planning a complete garden design overhaul, here are our top observations of beautiful garden designs.

Proportion

This is perhaps the most important aspect of garden design. Design a garden in proportion to the property. Too often large properties have borders and planting that, in comparison to the house, look rather awkward – too small with too few plants. If you have the space, be generous with both borders and planting.

The relationship between the property and the proportions of the borders and features is key. Think of the garden and house holistically, rather than as an accessory or separate entity, use your design to connect them.

Balance

The most beautiful gardens combine lines, symmetry, and shapes to match the style of the surroundings, but also have a visual balance between the layout of softscape and hardscape elements.

EverEdge Garden Edging on a lawn against a stone wall

What are hardscape elements?

Hardscape elements of garden design include paths, garden bed edging, walls, water features, decking and sitting areas.

What are softscape elements?

Softscape involves the plants; not just the colours but their horticultural needs, how they change over the seasons, their lifespan, size, speed of growth and the all-important seasonal appearances.

Landscape edging is an element of garden design that marries hardscape and softscape elements, an easy garden fix to make any space orderly. Giving clarity to distinct zones of a garden while renovating rough edges of paths and borders, garden edging creates an easy to maintain, functional and attractive feature – a beautiful garden doesn’t have to be a labour of love.

Complement your surroundings

The internet is awash with images of beautiful gardens. Travel and other people’s gardens are always inspiring; however, what works in a Balinese courtyard may not translate quite so well to a south facing Christchurch NZ garden. Try not to let your imagination run wild and design a garden to complement and celebrate the characteristics and growing conditions available to you.

Whether your tastes are more traditional, or you prefer a contemporary garden design, your garden is a private idyll. To learn more about how metal landscape garden edging is used in beautiful garden designs, contact the team today, or call 021 925 389 for a free no-obligation chat.

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An aerial view of a garden with a couple sitting on a bench.

Edging towards perfection: choosing the right colour for your garden

by Simon Mullinger • 30 March 2025

Garden edging is more than just a functional element – it's the defining line that transforms your outdoor space from ordinary to extraordinary. One of the most common questions we are asked at EverEdge NZ is ‘What colour garden edging is best to choose?’. The power of colour in garden design When it comes to landscape edging, colour is your secret weapon. Whether you're creating a sleek modern garden, a traditional cottage-style space, or a vibrant botanical haven, the right metal landscape edging makes all the difference. EverEdge offer an unparalleled versatility for garden enthusiasts across New Zealand. From the Classic range of galvanised and powder coated steel edging choose from an earthy brown or timeless black garden edging; or choose our stunning Cor-ten garden edging which develops a rust-like patina with the passage of time. Match your garden's personality Every garden tells a story, and your garden edging should be its punctuation mark. Here's how to choose the perfect colour: Natural and traditional gardens Brown edging seamlessly blends with earthy surroundings, creating a soft, organic border to complement abundant greenery. It's the perfect choice for gardens that celebrate natural landscapes and want a subtle, sophisticated definition. Modern and minimalist spaces Black steel landscape edging creates sharp, clean lines that bring structure and contemporary elegance. It's ideal for gardens with geometric layouts, providing a bold statement that defines spaces with precision and style. Rustic and evolving designs Corten steel is often used for sculptures and installations , and with good reason. This steel edging offers a unique solution for those seeking character and depth. As this remarkable material ages, it develops a rich, warm rust patina that tells a story of time and transformation. Perfect for garden bed edging that grows more beautiful with each passing season.