b'pictures: Lucent*MediaA family visit to Queensland providedthe inspiration for Jo and Craig Howes garden and pool, on their lifestyle blockan hours drive south of Auckland.Their brief to the landscape designer was unequivocal. We wanted a low-maintenance garden, a pool with a waterfall, a spa and barbeque area, lots of palm trees and a bure, says Jo Howe. Thecouplehavetwochildrenunderfourandlovetospendtimewith family and friends. They needed a garden and pool that would provide an entertainment and recreation area to suit their lifestyle.The resulting design was a response not only to Jo and Craigs brief, but also to the rural setting. The materials reect this: rustic timber and rocks. The spa area is screened on three sides by rocks and plants and the barbeque was built into a big schist replace.The house, the garden, and the 10m x 5m rectangular pool take up one acre of the Howes 12-acre property. The pool and surrounding landscaping were completed over a ve-month period. One dozen Highland cattle have the run of the remaining 11 acres of the property. The section is very exposed, so the plants needed to be hardy. The Howes were concerned about the wind, so mounds of earth were created on the western side, from the soil that was excavated for the pool. Once the garden matures, these raised planting beds will provide an effective wind buffer. Their home is also built on a knoll overlooking the surrounding countryside. The mounds around the pool reect this, encasing the design and creating a visual association with the house. Jo and Craig wanted a resort-style look. Accordingly, the garden contains mass plantings of hardy sub-tropicals and big, grouped mixtures of different-textured leaves and colour variations. The designer specied Queen palms (Syagrus romananzofana), Washington alternative ideas for thispalms (Washingtonia robusta), Pygmy date palm (Phoenix roebellinii), Sago exterior on pages 124-127| 121'