A bare slope in Auckland has been transformed into a calming Zen oasis with the wise use of some rocks, boardwalks and Stylish Japanese planting, In the year 2004 when Siew Ng relocated from Malaysia to New Zealand, her initial hope was for a house with a beautiful garden. “She said, In Malaysia we didn’t have very much landspace; most houses are terraced units,” she explained. “My garden were completely in pots over there. So when I arrived at New Zealand it was good to be able to do something I am very passionate about.”It took a few years before she could realise her dream but now Siew and her husband, Chee Hong, have their idea of paradise. On a sloping site in the West Auckland suburb of Henderson, a Japanese Zen-style garden is filled with the maple trees Siew adores, as well as a set of meandering steps up the incline, ponds, a rockery, seats to take in views of the Waitakere Ranges and even a flat lawn for the couple’s cute little West Highland terrier, Sky, to play on.