This week the Dalgleish Architects team had the pleasure of visiting The Mantles, to view the completed landscaping.
Sam Moore from Considerate Design worked with our client Graham Stoop, a passionate gardener, to create garden spaces that will evolve over time and provide ample enjoyment. It was a beautiful Whanganui morning, and we spent a couple of hours walking around the site and through the gardens, learning about their design.
Sam Moore gave a detailed talk on the intricate planning of the gardens. The different plants work in community, with grasses, wildflowers and ground covers providing a “carpet” of sorts, and structural plants throughout for seasonal interest and colour.
We saw our completed bespoke fence, which encloses the space and adds security while also linking to the surroundings. It also allows the planting to have light and be visible from the paths and driveways around the site.
The garden at The Mantles is designed to naturally change and evolve over time, with plants chosen intentionally that will seed and “walk about”. With every plant chosen to suit the climate and location, minimal watering should be required in each of the four zones – two with full sun, one with partial shade and one with full shade. The Corokia Frosted chocolate hedging provided the colour palette for the other plants, which work together in community with different highlights appearing in each season.
The Mantles was awarded a 2025 Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZIA Western Architecture award in Housing.
Visit Sam’s website here to see more of his work.
Visit our project page about the Mantles here.
And if you are in Whanganui, you can view the gardens in person simply by visiting the Durie Hill Elevator.
Thank you to Sam and Graham for such a wonderful morning at The Mantles!
Photography by Sarah Silvester.
