Page 43 - HW Oct 2022

lawn & garden
Towards an experiential garden centre
Promising to set new standards for specialist garden centres, Kings Plant Barn’s 2,800m2 Stonefields concept store opened its doors on Lunn Av in July.
Targeting the
affluent east
Auckland suburbs,
the store was
master planned
by high profile
Cheshire Architects,
who have evolved
Kings Plant Barn’s
famous barn form
with a plant-based
primary structure
and a skin that harvests solar energy.
On top of a commitment to using electric vehicles, the store itself boasts low embodied carbon building materials, locally made fixtures using sustainable timber, solar panels which provide the store’s daytime energy needs, irrigation systems incorporating water reuse and new plastic recycling initiatives, including a partnership with Future Post.
The store includes a Garden Kitchen café with a seasonal menu focusing on locally grown produce, plant-based options and root-to- stem dishes.
Children are also catered for with an all-weather playground made from sustainable and recycled materials.
New Zealand landscape designer Xanthe White developed the planting plan for
the concept store to ensure the plants can thrive in the right environments as well as inspire customers with display zones where customers can for example
see plants in-situ in living, dining and office spaces.
A key feature of the store is the New Zealand Designer Showcase section in partnership with
General Collective where local creatives will have a platform to display and sell their products, with all profits being returned to the designer.
Personal customer consultations are available with garden design experts in-store as well as a Plant Doctor on-site to answer plant-care and gardening queries. Plant Doctor home visits will also be on offer.
“We also have a potting up area where garden enthusiasts can learn to pot or repot plants, a DIY terrarium bar and a drive-through collection point for those looking for added shopping convenience,” says Kings Plant Barn General Manager Chris Hall.
“It’s a new experience for plant lovers of all ages.”
www.kings.co.nz
MORE AT www.facebook.com/nzhardwarejournal SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 | NZHJ 41