64 | Landscapes designed to enhance lifestyles Services range from construction and project management to creating outdoor living areas connected to existing homes, soft landscaping, and building special features. CONTRACTING Sole Landscapes T T Sue Russell As last year was somewhat challenging for his company, Jono Sole of Sole Landscapes says he is pleased to see a lift in demand after he used the time to work on improving the operation. “We actually turned the quieter time last year into a process of determining the holes in the business, establishing better systems and structures, and upskilling people into management, knowing that things would pick up and we’d be much busier,” Jono says. “ It was a very good exercise to go through.” Moving one long-standing team member into a project-management role has been significant in terms of the ability to take on more work at any given time, he says. “I’ve found it really great to see someone grow professionally and take on new responsibilities while staying with our business.” Jono says a significant focus of the review was to create company systems that would allow the customer to have the most positive experience throughout a project. As can often happen, there can be a big gap between the dream a client has and what is practically possible, given the budget. This is where those early conversations and the ability to provide landscaping ideas the client hasn’t imagined, really come into play. “Because often they’re looking out at a familiar space, they can’t always get beyond how an area can be transformed into something quite different. We’re able to work up designs by seeing the existing spaces in a more objective light, and through knowing what is physically possible to achieve, especially given budget limitations that need to be respected,” Jono says. It’s having discussions such as how the spaces close to the existing home can be better used bringing about real lifestyle gains in the process, that are important, he says. “How are they going to use the space in 10 years, not just right now, but when the children are older and enjoying new activities and interests. “These are the thoughts we bring into the mix when beginning to articulate a potential new design.” Jono and his wife Lauren established Sole Landscapes 10 years ago, offering services across the greater Wellington and Wairarapa regions. The business has recently relocated to Kenepuru, north of Wellington, to be more centrally located. There is also a crew based full-time in the Wairarapa. Services range from construction and project management to creating outdoor living areas connected to existing homes, undertaking earthworks and working in spaces where access is difficult (a common situation in Wellington), soft landscaping, building special features and spaces, to name a few. The focus, over time is also shifting to working in high-end renovation and new-build situations, where clients have exacting standards and expectations. Jono says the team have had the opportunity to work on many exciting projects. One that stood out for its demanding engineering requirements was a new pool on a lifestyle property in the Wairarapa. “Our client had a specific design direction for us to follow, which included the use of raw materials, including concrete and folded steel fencing,” Jono explains. The property is minimalistic in appearance and it was important for the pool area to match the simple, weathered corrugated steel shed appearance of the surrounding buildings on the property. A complicating factor for using concrete was ensuring there was one, single level around the fibreglass pool. “To achieve this we had to engage an engineer to design and fabricate a stainless steel bracket with sufficient strength to cantilever the concrete over the cover pit without impeding the retraction of the cover.” A particular interest for Jono has long been furthering the professionalism of those working in the industry, by creating qualification pathways. He’s a board member of Registered Master Landscapers NZ, and says it’s important that a specialised training structure is established. “Traditionally, landscaping was aligned with the horticulture sector. “However, the reality is that we’re much more closely connected with construction than the growing industries,” he says. “Hopefully, over the next year, we’ll make further inroads with training providers to establish programmes that really reflect what modern-day landscaping entails.” Looking ahead, Jono says that 2026 is shaping up to be a busier year for Sole Landscapes, with already a six- to eight-month lead-in time for projects. Your Oasis Awaits • Pool Installation • Pool Maintenance • Self-Cleaning Systems Call Us Today: 0800 935 576 Visit: poolsandspas.co.nz Dream it. We Build it.
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