Artisan Garden Design

Artisan Garden Design in Aotearoa New Zealand
— with Natalie Quirke

At Cordyline & Flax, we design and create unique, evolving, and sustainable gardens that reflect the natural beauty of Aotearoa New Zealand. Led by garden designer Natalie Quirke, our mission is to make every outdoor space a contribution toward a healthier, more sustainable future for generations to come.

Every Garden Tells a Story

Whether you dream of a manicured landscape, a lush native haven, or a carefree, coastal retreat, we believe all gardens are beautiful. Your garden can be:

Colourful and fragrant
Minimalist or easy-care
Structured or wild
Edible, cottage-style, or coastal
Shady, peaceful, or pollinator-friendly

Guided by the rhythms of the seasons (sometimes all four in one day!), your garden can offer solitude, inspiration, and recreation, while actively supporting the environment.

Gardens That Work With Nature

A thoughtfully designed garden:

Helps reduce flooding with spongy, absorbent landscapes
Cools urban heat with strategic tree and shrub planting
Prevents soil erosion and protects water and air quality
Supports pollinators like birds and bees
Promotes healthy soil and minimizes pests and disease

Garden Design Services by Natalie Quirke

Cordyline & Flax offers a full-service garden design consultancy including:

Sustainable plant selection & identification
Expert pruning advice
Support for garden regeneration
Help with pest and disease control
Guidance on outdoor furniture, sculptures, and layout

We believe in collaborative, artisan garden design that reflects your needs, your site, and the surrounding ecosystem. Natalie Quirke will work closely with you to create a space that’s not only functional but full of joy. Your design journey will be fun, fulfilling, and deeply rewarding.

There are many surprises tucked away in the spring garden. The Magnolia Fairy Blush is one of them. It’s a Michelia hybrid bred by reknown New Zealand breeder Mark Jury. The beautiful fragrant flowers are blushed lilac pink with evergreen foliage. Grows to about 4m x 2.5m. Plant in full sun to partial shade. Makes an excellent hedge.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Lily of the Valley shrub (Pieris ‘Temple Bells’). It has large creamy white, bell-shaped flowers with appealing new apricot-bronze coloured foliage which fade to a glossy, deep green. Pieris is a graceful evergreen compact shrub and grows to about 1.5 x 1 w. If you look closely you’ll spot a bee in the image. Team up with plantings of rhododendrons, hostas, camellias and heucheras. Thrives in fertile, acidic soil in the semi-shade

Magnolia x soulangeana ‘Vulcan’ - a stunning feature tree. Large, fragrant, ruby red goblet shaped flowers. Grows best in full sun, and well-drained soil. Very striking when planted alongside Azaleas, Helleborus, Daphne and Camellias. Grows to a compact 4 metres which makes it ideal for smaller gardens
#gardendesigner

Magnolia stellata (Star Magnolia). A compact, deciduous small tree (up to 3m) prized for its showy white or pink flowers in spring, on bare twigs. Originates from Japan. Underplant with spring bulbs such as blue Muscari (armeniacum) for a spectacular show of colour. Mulch annually to help prevent soil from drying out in summer

Some plants have good feng shui and the money tree (Pachira aquatica) is one of them. It’s said to bring positive energy and prosperity into your home. Grows in bright indirect sunlight and likes to dry out a little between watering. I’m having some fun braiding the trunks of my money tree

Showy bright Euphorbia (Spurge) flowers, signalling spring is not far away. Blue grey foliage. Thrives in the heat, poor soil and is drought tolerant. Avoid sap. Same family as the Poinsettia, a popular Christmas houseplant

Venturing out into my winter garden to prune the roses ahead of spring - I was surprised to come across some beautiful, scented rose blooms. A pleasant reminder of the joy of growing roses

Cymbidium orchids (Boat Orchids) flowering in my winter garden. Said to date back back to Confucius (about 551 BC). Originating from the foothills of the Himalayas, and closer to home - in parts of Australia. Cut blooms last up to 3 months. Cymbidiums like bright, indirect light. Dappled light under a tree works well. Cooler night temperatures encourage blooms. Watch out for slugs and snails, they love munching on the blooms!

Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)- is a striking succulent plant with sword-like leaves. Puts up with low light and needs little watering. Very easy-care. If your room needs strong vertical lines this is the plant for you.

A stunning grey lit winter afternoon down at the beach

Winter gardens don’t need to be dull. Deciduous trees like this ornamental Cherry add joyous colour, and fallen leaves make a wonderful mulch. Now all we need to do is await the arrival of spring bud burst and fresh new flowers and leaves!

A stunning, calm winter’s day in Plimmerton. Mana Island’s on the right and there’s the slightest glimpse of the South Island in the distance.
Plimmerton became a popular seaside resort in 1885, when regular train services began from Wellington

Purple Cattelia and yellow Ballerina (a real show stopper) orchid flowers - brightening up winter’s muted colours

These crabapples were far too appetising for our resident birds - they have feasted!

Keela - our Irish Terrier pauses briefly during yesterday’s walk

Dahlia Mango Madness
Large rich apricot, salmon pink flowers with pale lavender grey edges. A long lasting cut flower and popular as a wedding flower. Perfect if you want bold, tropical colour in your garden.

Feijoas - a super fruit we love (or so we’re told)!
Widely grown here but the Feijoa actually comes from Brazil and Uruguay. Rich in Vitamin C, Potassium and Magnesium. Available now through to June. Enjoy as winter fast approaches!

The beauty of late season flowering Hydrangeas

Sylvia - gorgeous pumpkin orange ball Dahlia

Fruit picked from my garden today. And yes, tomatoes are classified as a fruit - although commonly used as (savoury) vegetables in cooking

Aspidistra (Cast iron plant)
Hard-to-kill houseplant. Prized for its lush foliage. First described in 1822. Popular in Victorian period. A sign of great wealth when featured in family photos.

Magnolia grandiflora - Evergreen magnolia. Ideal shade, hedge, topiary or feature tree. Foliage widely used in floristry

Grab your walking shoes and head to a park. Explore nature and have fun with friends and whanau

Sunflowers - the bright and vibrant blooms symbolise feelings of joy and affection

Manawatu estuary Foxton - a must see!
Internationally important. One of the best bird watching spots in the motu. 250 ha of sandbanks and salt marsh

Strawberries and bubbles for the New Year

Just picked!
The secret to homegrown strawberries:
- compost
- watering
- well-drained soil
- bird netting
Easy!

A gorgeous, thriving yellow lily in my garden #gardenlovers

Species lily ‘Fusion’ - exotic red and yellow spotted flowers. Attract bees and butterflies to your garden #gardeninspiration

Stunning Graham Thomas roses picked from my garden “the best of the old with the best of the new” #gardendecor

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Andrea, Brooklyn

I would highly recommend Natalie for your gardening needs. I was very impressed with Natalie’s extensive botanical knowledge, which was very evident as she guided me through my garden advising on plants and new options for a low maintenance, native filled garden.

Her advice was thoughtful and completely considered to meet my particular situation, requirements and budget.
Natalie has a unique ability to come up with best plant solutions. She is passionate about what she does and a joy to work with. I couldn’t recommend her more highly.

Fiona, Dannevirke

Natalie is very practical with many years of gardening experience. When we moved house, she advised us as on the best place to locate the vegetable garden, where to plant trees for privacy, and how to prune existing trees to maximise light and privacy. Natalie also gave us ideas on the type of low maintenance plants for our area and suitable garden sites and plant sizes.

Nicky, Kāpiti

I was feeling overwhelmed with my garden and wanting advice on how to make some parts both more manageable and beautiful. Natalie spent time looking at all the trouble spots and came back to me with ideas for planting that fitted with my style of gardening and my capacity. Natalie is a wonderful person to support me in this project with her love ad knowledge of plants, and her experienced hands. She’s practical, patient and realistic while bringing both my dream garden and my manageable garden together. Thanks Natalie.

Alice, Tawa

Natalie helped us make change to our garden and outdoor areas to prepare for a house sale. She advised us on which plants to remove, which to prune, and also shared her incredible knowledge on other plants we could add to the space.

It’s not only plants though – Natalie has an eye for detail and can instantly see what might work, whether that’s furniture, garden decor and anything else that will elevate the space. She listened to our needs and tailored her advice to our timeframes, capacity, and knowledge and skill level. Natalie instantly made us feel less overwhelmed about preparing our property for sale and we’re very grateful for her experience and expertise! I highly recommend Natalie for any of your garden design needs.