Restoration Perfection

How often have you driven along a country road and wondered what was behind the thick hedge or stand of trees? I really like it when I catch a glimpse of something wonderful hiding beyond my view. In this issue, we take you on the other side of the fenceline and show you some of what lies there, and tell you how it got there.

If you were to pass by, it’s almost certain you would miss King’s Ridge Gardens, completely unaware of what lies beyond the steep driveway laced with agapanthus, cherry blossoms and self-sown cineraria in a wooded dell.

Andrew and Johanna King purchased the property in 2017. At the time, the three-hectare site was a lifestyle block, home to a tin shed and a 1980s butter-yellow bungalow. What persuaded them to buy the property was the location, situated on a secluded ridge with mature trees, looking out across farmland to the Ruahine Ranges and only a three-minute drive to the Waipawa village. Lovely as it was, the pair had greater visions, but for your average real estate enthusiast, visions of this extent would fall well short of the property that exists today.

“In our early 20s as first home buyers with a tiny deposit, we sought out the worst houses on the best streets; it had to be an old dunger to excite our imagination,” explained Johanna. Originally an art teacher, Johanna returned to university in the 1980s to study interior and landscape architecture. Her husband, Andrew, is a structural and earthquake engineer, and between the two of them, they have the knowledge and skills to take on restoration projects with more energy than you could generate from a wind farm. This extensive project wasn’t the couple’s first rodeo; they had renovated ‘old ladies’ for the best part of 40 years, including an old home in Upper Hutt locally known as the ‘Pink Noah’s Arc’. “It was in a rumpty state, but by the time we had finished, the house looked very des res,” laughs Johanna.

In July 2017, they began renovating the 1980s bungalow, taking the exterior walls from butter yellow to a sharp charcoal black, almost immediately modernising the look while gently blending the property to suit its surroundings. Retaining walls, grape-lined pergolas, decking and rewiring were just part of the project. While the renovations were in full swing, the couple were also drawing up landscape plans: Johanna managing the project, coordinating the renovations, siteworks and ground modelling, and Andrew dealing with the site engineering components, services and bookwork. With over 40 years of experience between the two, the couple were a well-honed team, managing their Wellington practice in the mix.

Johanna began landscaping, digging out oxalis that was infesting the existing garden, and replanting. Now known as ‘The Blackhouse’, the bungalow was their home during the renovations and earthworks. For most of us, that would have been a sufficient project, but Johanna and Andrew had also bought another grand old lady to restore on Trade Me.

Two dwellings were part of the relocation plans – the forlorn 130-year-old villa situated in Fielding, now known as the ‘Ridge House’, had good bones; and an 1860s Anniversary Cottage, sitting in Hastings. Both oozed style, character and potential that maybe only Andrew and Johanna could envisage at the time. In October 2017, both dwellings were transported and winched up the steep driveway. Johanna was adamant that the existing trees were to remain unscathed, so navigating the space took breath work – and lots of it. Sure, the process was hair-raising, but they both laugh and readily admit that they found it an adrenaline rush.

Renovations on the Anniversary Cottage and landscaping proceeded, while Johanna hand raked the soil around the sites, setting out the areas for planting, including hundreds of lavender plants in arcs on the hillside. Her vision and energy meant that by 2019, while still very much a construction site, there was already a beautiful and established garden forming.

Sharing a property over three years with builders isn’t for comfort seekers. By 2022, they were ready to take possession and move forward with completion on their own. The 2500 bricks that were the original chimney foundations for the Ridge House were relocated and eventually became part of the landscaping, forming a courtyard and garden edging. Nothing was to leave the site. “All materials from cutting and filling were kept, reused and repurposed,” explains Johanna.

Dirt under the fingernails has been in her blood, the passion and mastery of the arts runs through generations of the family, and Andrew is “really good with a hammer and saw”. Together they make a formidable team, joking about “horizontal board meetings” late at night, sharing ideas and planning.

With the help of friends, the garden looks immaculate

As you stroll through the gardens, it’s hard to imagine that, seven years ago, the space was a sheep paddock dotted with trees. Now, there are three beautifully linked gardens, each unique in design but perfectly complementing their surroundings.

Johanna’s vision is developed with a pencil in hand, her perspective drawings showing that vision – a skill which has proven highly valuable for her past clients needing town planning approval. “Quite often old houses for relocation meet resistance from neighbouring property owners. By drawing the visuals for all to see, we were often able to get approval and gain community buy-in for our clients.”

The gardens surrounding the properties are of colonial origin, English in style, reflecting the era of the houses. As you move further away from the Ridge House, the formality and structure eases to a park-like character. ‘Wrinkle Blue’ pittosporums are ideal for topiary, with corokia hedging amongst hydrangeas, native Arthropodium cirratum (Renga Renga) and pops of burgundy adding depth and interest. “As in a painting, composition is key – painting with plants, wrapped with the vertical elements of trees, walls and trellises that create shaded seating areas.” Johanna describes it as a jigsaw puzzle: “As you place the pieces, a picture emerges.”

Most gardeners would never attempt to place a vegetable plot on a hill exposed to the elements, but with raised beds, wind cloths and railings, their garden is thriving. While the view from the vegetable patch is quite simply a distraction from the labour, their produce is blossoming, including the ‘Ballerina’ apple trees, rhubarb, tomatoes, cabbage and beans.

The gardens of King’s Ridge require an input of 20 hours a week. Johanna has help from two gardeners, now friends, for half a day a week, working through maintenance one section at a time. “It saves going to the gym – four hours in the garden is far better for you,” smiles Johanna. They are a vision in their 70s, clearly fitter and stronger than some decades younger.

The latest structure built by Andrew, reusing leftover materials and windows, is her garden shed, resembling a tiny church and oozing timeless appeal. It’s a place for Johanna to dry flowers, make potpourri and, soon, lavender oil, when Andrew finds time to convert an old pressure cooker into a still.

Over the last four decades, Andrew and Johanna have opened their many gardens as fundraisers for charities. The restoration of cyclone-damaged Madge Hunter Park was a day of connection for the Central Hawke’s Bay community, raising over $5000.

Perhaps she will host workshops, supporting others to create gardens like she and Andrew have done successfully over the years. Currently, two of the properties are regularly rented out for weekend stays, and the couple host gardening groups as fundraisers.

When they slow for a minute, the property provides ample space for their three children and their families, totalling nine grandchildren. It’s idyllic, the life they have created at King’s Ridge, through blood, sweat and tears – idyllic it is. Perhaps it’s time now to stop and smell the roses.