OUR PEOPLE
Sandi Macrae |
Mark Sowerby |
Sandi MacRae is an award-winning Christchurch landscape designer, specialising in outdoor living and garden design solutions to create wow-factor gardens.
Sandi grew up on her family’s plant nursery, and has loved gardens and plants all her life. She has many years of experience both working in nurseries and as a landscape designer - running MacRae Landscape Design (formerly known as Sandi MacRae Landscapes) since 1998. Sandi is also a board member of the Canterbury Horticultural Society, which sees her involved in projects supporting gardens and gardening in the local community. Through her work in landscape design, Sandi collaborates with architects, builders, stonemasons, artists, sculptors and plant wholesalers to create individual and personalised garden spaces for her clients to love. A regular attendee at the Ellerslie International Flower Show, Sandi has been awarded Bronze, Silver, Gold and Supreme Design Awards. Her accolades have also earned her a position as a judge for two recent Shows. Sandi is renowned for her skilful landscaping and a sense of style and proportion, which helps her to create spaces that will enhance outdoor living. In her spare time, you’ll find Sandi paddle boarding, hiking the hills, mountain biking or catching up with some of her favourite people. Whether you are creating a new landscape, renovating an old one, or simply wanting to improve your current outdoor living space, Sandi and her team can help. |
For as long as he can remember, Mark has had an interest in gardening and design. Before becoming a landscape designer Mark spent 10 years working as an architectural designer, which has given him a good understanding of design, construction and local regulations. Mark has now been in the landscape design industry for more than 10 years.
In all that Mark designs, he examines both what’s going on inside and outside the house. He considers both spaces as important as each other, and always designs landscapes to relate to and fit around a home. Mark loves plans, and the process of organising spaces to fit together in clever and sensible ways. He is passionate about prioritising the requirements of those who live at a property - considering what spaces are needed, who will use them and how they will be used. In Mark’s spare time, you’ll find him travelling, reading and cooking. Or in his own garden, which he’s been developing for the last 5 years to experiment with different types of plants - including a perennial flower garden, a woodland garden and a large area of fruit and veges. Mark is focussed on adding value to a property. For his clients he takes into account a property’s size, location, climate, layout, views and style of the home, creating a design that brings home and garden together to create spaces that will not only function well, but are a pleasure to be in. |
