‘I have used Second Nature on both my beach house at Castle Rock, Whangarei Heads and also my Auckland home garden. They have completed work for us at various times over a period of six to seven years. Chris understands very well what I like and he’s very good at coming up with suggestions and interpreting the direction we want to pursue. He’s extremely easy to deal with. He’s very practical, not afraid to express a contrary opinion but also willing to listen and be flexible… more >

‘I like working with Second Nature because of their general professionalism and excellent project management. No detail is left unattended, from the nitty gritty details to the big picture. Second Nature has very good team leaders. They’re all reliable and knowledgeable. They’re very familiar with our procedures, so we don’t get false alarms, nor are there any surprises. They know exactly how long each stage of a pool installation takes and what will be required… more >

‘Second Nature operates at the quality end of the market for discerning home owners who want a bespoke and cohesive landscaped section and garden. They deliver in every respect, providing a friendly and expert service. For us, the added benefit was being able to tap into their landscaping partners. These included designers, lighting specialists, pool contractors and even a sculptor… more >

‘Our relationship with Second Nature began when a mutual client for whom we’d designed a beach house wanted to use Chris Ballantyne on the project. He immediately showed an appreciation for the fact that his design needed to be sensitive to our architectural expression. This led to a smooth overlap between our separate skills. Chris’ contribution to the project was very successful… more >

‘I’m a keen gardener, but because we’re flat out with a young family, the garden had got away on us. It needed a professional tidy-up. So in 2016 we turned to Second Nature, who had provided the original landscaping for our property in 2010. This had involved digging up the entire section, bringing in new soil and contouring the landscape ready for us to plant… more >

‘Second Nature came with glowing recommendations from people I trust. We were embarking on a huge job: rebuilding 100-year-old verandas, construction of ornate concrete columns and walls, stone decking, decorative pathways and the rest. Total re-landscaping, including some rather unusual, creative visions that were yet to be fully resolved. In the planning period my trust in Chris and his team developed… more >

‘Second Nature was commissioned to design, build and project-manage our backyard in Stonefields, Auckland in September 2013. The brief was to create a backyard which was beautiful, unexpected, required little maintenance and included the use of natural materials (timber, grass and stone). The garden needed to be sufficiently robust to accommodate the presence of two high-energy dogs, and all planting decisions had to be made with this in mind… more >

‘The quality of Second Nature’s work was excellent. We appreciated their close attention to detail and their very skilled tradespeople. The design worked well, creating attractive outdoor living spaces that have been well used, enhancing our lifestyle. We now spend more time in our garden… more >