Waikato Home & Garden Show 2026 | People’s Choice Garden

From Concept to People’s Choice: Behind Our Waikato Home & Garden Show Garden

When the Waikato Home & Garden Show opened, our garden was a complete outdoor space with brick paving, layered planting, corten steel edging, an outdoor kitchen and places to sit, eat and entertain. Just days earlier, the site had been little more than grass.

The transformation was the result of a collaboration between Groundcover Landscaping and Waikato landscape designer Siobhan Keating from SK Gardens. Together, we brought Siobhan’s concept, A Garden for the Future, to life for the 2026 Waikato Home & Garden Show Landscape Design Awards.The garden went on to win the People’s Choice Award, making all the planning, hard work and problem-solving even more rewarding.

We work alongside landscape designers on projects throughout the Waikato, but this was an opportunity to collaborate from the very beginning and show what that relationship looks like in practice. From the design and material choices to the construction details and last-minute decisions, it was a team effort that brought different skills together to create one finished garden.

Designing a garden for the future

The brief was A Garden for the Future, but for Siobhan, the idea was about creating something that would stand the test of time. She wanted a garden that would age well, develop character and continue to feel relevant rather than date quickly.

“The concept was A Garden for the Future, and for me that wasn't about creating something futuristic. It was about creating something enduring,” she says.

That thinking influenced the materials as much as the planting. Brick, corten steel and lime-chip hoggin were chosen for their warmth, durability and ability to develop character over time. The planting was also carefully considered, with warmer summers in mind and inspiration drawn from places with similar growing conditions.

There was an environmental consideration, too. The garden needed to support pollinators and insect life while still being somewhere people genuinely wanted to spend time.

“For me, those things aren't separate. A successful garden should be a refuge for people while also being part of a much bigger living environment.”

That balance between people and nature carried through the whole design. Siobhan wanted visitors to imagine themselves sitting around the table with friends, cooking, having a drink at the bar or simply enjoying being outside. Even as a show garden, it needed to feel like a complete, practical outdoor space rather than a collection of features put on display.

Where landscape design meets landscaping construction

A landscape designer and a landscaper bring different expertise to a project. We often compare the relationship to that of an architect and a builder: the designer develops the vision for how a space should look, feel and function, while the landscaping team works through how to construct it well.

For Siobhan, that meant clear plans and specifications, but also ongoing conversations with Graeme and Simon from Groundcover Landscpaing, as the build progressed.

“Drawings can only take you so far,” she explains.

The design included 2D plans, 3D modelling, dimensions and material specifications to give the construction team a clear understanding of what was intended. But good communication was just as important once work began on site.

Graeme's first impression of the design was that it had a distinctly European feel and was different from what Groundcover would typically build. It also presented some interesting challenges, particularly around the bespoke outdoor kitchen.

“The outdoor kitchen unit was a standout to me as it was a bespoke feature that was challenging, but fun to build and something that we could look back at and be very proud of the outcome,” he says.

The kitchen needed to look like a carefully crafted part of the garden, but it also had to be practical to build within the constraints of a show environment. Graeme and Simon worked through how it could be constructed off site in a kitset-style format, transported to the venue and assembled quickly once they were on site.

That preparation was crucial. The brick paving under the outdoor table involved working out the cuts for its herringbone pattern and getting the edges and corners right. Graeme and Siobhan discussed the layout in detail, with most of the cutting completed at Groundcover's workshop before the build began. Only two internal corner bricks needed to be cut on site.

These are the details visitors might never notice, but they make a real difference to the finished result. Good landscaping construction is about more than following a plan; it means understanding the materials, anticipating challenges and finding the best way to achieve the intended outcome.

When the plan meets the real world

Even with detailed drawings and careful preparation, some decisions are best made when everyone can see the materials and space together.

The brick stepping stones through the crushed limestone were a good example. Once the team placed the actual bricks on site, their scale felt a little different from how it had appeared on paper. They experimented with the arrangement and settled on groups of four, slightly offset to create a more relaxed pathway rather than a rigid, formal line.

The kitchen benchtop required the same attention to detail. Working through the brick layout together helped ensure the edges and corners would look right while remaining practical to construct.

For Siobhan, having Groundcover involved in those conversations was an important part of the process. She could bring her design expertise, while Graeme and Simon could contribute their understanding of construction methods and what would work best in practice.

As she puts it, “I'm not a landscaper and I don't pretend to be one.”

That willingness to recognise each other's expertise is what makes the relationship work. In everyday landscaping projects, site conditions such as ground levels, drainage and underground services can also mean plans need to change. The key is being able to talk through the options and find a solution that works without losing the intent of the design.

The show garden gave us the chance to put that approach into practice, with decisions made together rather than treating the design as something separate from the construction.

A different kind of landscaping project

Building a show garden is quite different from a typical residential landscaping project. Everything has to come together within a tight timeframe, alongside other teams working on their own gardens, and with the added consideration that much of the garden needs to be dismantled after the event.

For Simon, Groundcover's Project Manager, one of the biggest surprises was just how much organising was involved in getting the products and materials together.

“Begging, borrowing and stealing really,” he says, summing up the effort involved in sourcing everything needed, where there isn’t a client to cover the cost!

And there was plenty to organise. The fence, trees, plants, paving, structures, pots, furniture, lighting and finishing details all had to be brought in and positioned on site. Some elements, like the outdoor kitchen, needed careful planning and preparation beforehand to make the installation manageable.

The team also had to work alongside the other landscapers building their gardens. Simon enjoyed the atmosphere in the lead-up to opening day, with opportunities to talk, help each other out and watch the different gardens take shape. Each designer had interpreted the brief in their own way,making the finished display a great showcase of different ideas and approaches.

Of course, the hard yards came before the public arrived. After several intensive days of building, there were still four days of the Show to get through. Simon felt for Siobhan and Graeme who had to move straight from the physical demands of construction to spending long days manning their stand.

It was a very different experience from a normal job, but one that gave the team a real appreciation for the planning, coordination and teamwork needed to make a show garden happen.

Seeing people experience the garden

Once the garden was finished, the best part was seeing how people responded to it.

Much of Siobhan's work is in private backyards, so she doesn't often get the opportunity to watch hundreds of people experience a space she has created. At the Show, visitors could walk straight in, lookaround and imagine how they might use the garden.

People pictured themselves sitting around the table, cooking pizzas, having a drink at the bar and entertaining friends. They noticed different things and interacted with the space in ways the team hadn't necessarily anticipated.

“Ultimately, that's what I want a garden to do. It's not just something to look at. It's somewhere to spend time, bring people together and make memories,” she says.

For Groundcover, it was just as satisfying to see the finished space being enjoyed after all the work that had gone into building it. Graeme's favourite feature was the outdoor kitchen, but he also appreciated how the individual elements came together. The brickwork connected the kitchen with the paving and stepping stones, while the planting softened the harder materials and tied the garden together. The lighting added another layer, even if visitors couldn't fully appreciate its effect during the Show's opening hours.

It was a reminder that the success of a garden isn't down to one feature alone. It's how the materials, planting, structures and practical details work together to create a space that feels right.

A People’s Choice Award to remember

Winning the People’s Choice Award was a fantastic result for everyone involved. For Siobhan, the recognition was particularly meaningful because it came from the people who had walked through and experienced the garden.

“There's something really special about knowing people can see themselves in it, imagine enjoying it with family and friends and making memories,” she says.

Graeme was equally delighted. The project had involved a lot of hours and hard work, and he was proud of what the team had achieved. He was also quick to acknowledge the other three gardens, each of which offered a different interpretation of the brief and deserved recognition.

For Groundcover, the award was a lovely acknowledgement of the work involved in turning the concept into a finished space. The design was important, but so were the construction decisions, the preparation, the problem-solving and the attention to detail that brought it all together.

Most importantly, the garden had connected with the people who visited it. That was exactly what Siobhan had hoped for.

More than a show garden

The Waikato Home & Garden Show gave us the opportunity to do something a little different, work alongside Siobhan and demonstrate what can happen when landscape design and landscaping construction come together from the start.

It took creative thinking, practical problem-solving and a lot of work behind the scenes to turn a bare patch of grass into a complete garden in such a short time frame. We're proud of what Siobhan, Graeme, Simon achieved, and delighted that so many visitors connected with the finished space.

Siobhan felt the same way about the collaboration.

“I just really loved working with Groundcover on this garden, it was such a joy! I'm really proud of what we created together, and I'd love for it to be the first of many.”

A project like this takes more than the people on site. We'd also like to thank all the suppliers who helped bring the garden together, and everyone who contributed products, materials and support along the way. A special thanks to Lottie Hedley for capturing the finished garden so beautifully and helping us share the work that went into creating it.

Ultimately, a successful garden is about more than how it looks in a photo. It needs to work, feel right and give people a reason to spend time outside. That's what we set out to achieve, and it was pretty special to see people enjoy it.

‍

SK Gardens specialises in bespoke garden and landscape design by providing clear 2D plans for all aspects of a garden, 3D imagery to visualise how the space will look and instructive and beautiful planting plans that ensure the plants suit the climate, house and client’s lifestyle. For anyone in Hamilton or throughout New Zealand who is wanting their outdoor space reimagined please get in touch.

‍At Groundcover Landscaping we create and maintain exceptional outdoor spaces that transform how our clients live, through expert craftsmanship, strong teamwork, and an outstanding experience - every project, every time. Book a Consultation