The Brief

Flock Hill is a 36,000-acre working sheep station in Canterbury’s High Country, combining pastoral farming operations with luxury accommodation and guided hunting experiences.

Planting across the property needed to enhance lodge and guest areas while remaining appropriate to a large-scale, operational high-country environment. The site is exposed to strong alpine winds, heavy winter snowfall, and hot, dry summers — requiring resilient species selection and careful staging of installation.

While initial landscape architect concepts were provided, practical refinement of plant selection, placement, and delivery was essential as development progressed.

Riverside’s Role

Riverside has been a primary plant supplier throughout multiple stages of the development, with most plant material grown in-house.

Where required, we sourced additional flowering and architectural perennials from specialist nurseries to complement the native framework planting.

Our involvement has included:

• Supplying plant material across lodge surrounds and wider station zones

• Advising on species suited to exposed alpine conditions

• Assisting with on-site plant placement around accommodation and hospitality areas

• Managing native installation on surrounding hillsides using contracted teams

• Coordinating planting windows alongside other contractors

• Responding to short lead-time supply requests as development stages evolved

The relationship has now spanned over four years and remains ongoing.

Scale & Delivery

To date, more than 20,000 plants have been supplied across multiple zones within the 36,000-acre property.

Hillside and perimeter areas have focused predominantly on hardy native species suited to high-country conditions. Closer to the lodge, restaurant, and guest facilities, planting incorporates structured perennials and visually architectural species to provide seasonal interest and soften built elements.

Flexible logistics and staged supply have been critical, particularly where plant requirements were confirmed close to installation. Riverside works alongside Flock Hill’s on-site gardening team to ensure continuity and long-term plant performance.

Outcome

The resulting landscape balances resilience with refinement — integrating seamlessly with the surrounding High Country terrain while elevating the guest experience within a working pastoral station.

The project continues to evolve, with Riverside providing ongoing supply and advisory support as new stages are developed.