News

During August 2010, we have completed our newest essay, regarding the work of the Greek architect, Dimitris Pikionis, adjacent to the Acropolis in Athens. The network of paths, steps, drainage channels and resting/viewing areas that Pikionis formulated (and which was laid down in the mid-1950s) represents a masterpiece of modern landscape design.

The NZPCN will host its 2010 conference from the 8th to 10th of October, in Christchurch. The subject of the conference, 'Plants in a human landscape - Conservation outside nature reserves' is an important aspect of much of our work (and accordingly, O2 Landscapes will be attending the conference). For anybody interested in the conference, or in the Network itself, please visit www.nzpcn.org.nz.

In July 2010, we added the latest essay in our series on the work of the Italian architect, Carlo Scarpa, to the website. It concerns his work for the entrance to the Institute of Architecture at Venice University. As it is fundamentally a work of landscape design, it is of particular interest to us. The essay is concerned chiefly with the way in which Scarpa treated the process of arriving/entering.

Over the period from April to July 2010, we have posted twelve new profiles of native plant species in the 'Essays' section of the website. These profiles present pictures of the plants in their respective natural habitats (or within cultivation), with information from both personal experience and research. The articles regard the remarkable toothed lancewood, Pseudopanax ferox, the North Cape endemic, Pseudopanax lessonii (ii), the coral broom, Carmichaelia crassicaulis subsp. crassicaulis, the coastal maire, Nestegis apetala, an endemic small tree from Nelson, Pittosporum dallii, the bamboo grass, Microlaena polynoda, a low, white-flowering groundcover, Pimelea prostrata, a Te Mata Peak endemic, Pimelea aff. aridula (iv), the large mountain daisy, Celmisia semicordata ssp. semicordata, the Marlborough Rock Daisy, Pachystegia insignis, a compact coastal shrub, Melicytus obovatus, and a small flowering shrub, Pomaderris amoena.

In the December 2009 issue of Landscape Architecture NZ magazine, the coastal garden at Leigh Harbour has been featured. The article profiles the varied concrete work on the site, in addition to the extensive drystone walls and steel work (including the dog fence and gate, and the clothesline). The place of endangered native plants within the garden (a special interest of O2 Landscapes) is also highlighted.

At the beginning of November 2009, we have added the presentation that Philip Smith gave at the 2007 International Plant Propagators' Society conference to the website. The subject was the pioneering work of 20th Century Northern European planting designers, and their relevance to New Zealand. The paper has been published within the proceedings of the Society, but we have included it within the essays section of the website, so that we can provide a large number of images than were included in the original presentation.

In the 2009 New Zealand Institute of Architects awards, the Leigh Harbour house for which O2 Landscapes designed a garden, won a national award for Tennent + Brown Architects. Four New Zealand awards were presented within the Residential Architecture category, three of them to houses (including that received by the architects of the Leigh house).

In May 2009, we have reproduced Philip Smith's 2006 article for 'The Garden' magazine within the publications section of the website, with the very kind permission of the editors of 'The Garden', and the photographers whose work contributed towards the article. The Royal Horticultural Society's journal on gardening and general horticulture, 'The Garden', published a special feature on New Zealand plants and horticulture in their November 2006 issue.

In May 2006, the 100% Pure Tourism New Zealand garden on the Main Avenue at the Chelsea Flower Show received a Silver Gilt medal. Philip Smith, of O2 Landscapes, worked in collaboration with James Fraser, of Avant Gardener, London, as plantsman for the display.