Landscape Design & Construction Insights - Whyte Gardens

How do you rate your home?

Written by Andrew Whyte | 09/08/2025 6:21:40 AM

If someone said to you, "I live in Melton", and someone else said to you,  "I live in Malvern", who would you say has the better home?

If you said to someone, "I live in a California bungalow" and they said to you, "I live in an architecturally designed passive house", who would you say has the better home now?

Have you noticed these days when people discuss their homes, they often talk about 'Energy Efficiency' the 'ROI' they expect to get on their property when they sell it, the location of their home, the local amenities like schools and shopping centres etc, 

If you were to ask Google this question today, you might get an AI generated answer like this:

If you've ever walked into someone's home and thought, "Oh my god, this is just stunning!" you might recall the feeling of sheer delight you had. And it's true to some degree that when judging how good a home is, the way the place makes you feel is important. The better the home makes you feel, the better you might enjoy living in it. 

But are these really the values we should be judging a home by? Or is there a way to rate a home that could have more meaning in your life? Maybe there is....

ISN'T PLEASURE what we all want?

A life full of pleasure would certainly be considered a good life by most people.

We all want to have more pleasure in our lives if we can. We dine with friends to create it. We go on holiday to discover it. We buy something because it brings us pleasure.

As we all spend a great deal of time at our homes, it's obvious that the more your home brings you pleasure, the happier your life will be. You decorate your home to bring about aesthetic pleasure. You buy a new big new TV to bring youg functional pleasure. But what is perhaps the single feature of a home that has the greatest potential to elevate your pleasure levels?

You guessed it - your garden!!!

Your garden has the GREATEST potential to positively impact the way you feel at home

Now you might think I am biased for saying this, but there is a lot of evidence to support my point of view.

If you take a look at this Google Search query I did on the colour green, you might not be surprised at what it says about the effect the colour green can have on you.

It's quite remarkable how much a simple colour can affect us - so positively! 

And what are most plants? Green!

So even just looking at the colour of your garden can lift your mood!

Beyond colour, what else does a garden offer you to elevate your spirits?

Just like decorating your home, decorating your garden entails the use of elements like timber and stone to add texture and visual appeal. Being organic materials, these too can have a positive influence on your mood.

Then adding elements like a water feature for example, allows you to introduce sound into your garden. Isn't it magical how just the sound of the bubbling, trickling, cascading water can transport you to another realm?

Other features in your garden like paths or places to discover, can add visual intrigue and interest as they invite you to wander down them or explore. It's the spirit of play they introduce that can take us back to our childhood.

But does the functiaonality of a garden play a part in providing pleasure?

Does functionality play a part in pleasure?

Your garden is a location waiting for something to happen in it - a bit like a stage ready for a play to begin.

You set the scene for a garden gathering, with a pergola covered in wisteria. You build an outdoor kitchen with a wood-fired pizza oven to set up for a dining event. The characters in your play are your family and eager guests who await the enticing offerings you will pull out from the flames.

You all spread out and relax together - eating and sharing stories of your recent days. Everyone has a part to play.

Your garden is not some two-dimensional picture you view from inside your home. It's actually a stage for you and those you are closest to, to act and play the happiest times of your life together.

Bringing AUTHENTIC Joy to your home

Whenever I am asked by a potential client, "Can you show me a garden project you have done that is like the one I want to do?", the answer is always, unfortunately "No!".

This is because every garden we create is different. It's authentic to the people we create it for. 

I love a particular definition of the word 'authentic', which is,  "true to one's own personality, spirit, or character".

Each garden should be authentic to the needs and wants of the person commissioning it. It should be an expression of its owner. For your garden to feel like it is perfect for you, it needs to be designed with what will stir your emotions and give you pleasure. if you love native plants, we will add them. If you dislike native plants, we won't. (That's why we often can't show you your perfect garden before we build it.)

One important aspect of creating a garden that is right for you, is how the relationship between you, the client, and the designer of your garden develops. That's why we always encourage our clients to share as much as they can about their dreams, hopes, aspirations and wishes for their garden with our designer.

Only then can we create a garden that has meaning for you. An authentic garden is one that truly resonates with you, the owner. It is a reflection of you, your style, your appreciations, and what you value as important in life.

So, when considering what to do with your garden, think about what elements and features to include (and exclude) that will bring you the most joy.

How do you rate your CURRENT garden?

Start by walking through your existing garden and contemplating any past gardens you may have had. What brought you joy? Was it the smell of jasmine near your front door? Was it the picket fence you always admired? Or was there perhaps something about your parents' garden that always made you smile. What was that?

Now visit other people's gardens and take note of what holds your attention and attracts your gaze. What is it that you find makes you pause and admire. Is it some little thing, like a bee dancing between the petals or the gentle sway of a tall grass?

When you have collected your montage of thoughts on the things you like, write them down and share them with your landscape designer. The deeper you dig and the more you express, the greater your garden will be.

Different plays for the stage

A garden is not a static, unchanging thing. It is dynamic and ever evolving, ever changing through the seasons.

By day, it may be a play area with a pool or a place where balls are passed or kicked. By night, it may become an intimate hub of social storytelling.

So, the plays you participate in, in your garden can be many and varied. They are limited only by your imagination.

Seasons always create a different stage for themselves. I often find Spring and Autumn to be the most intriguing for the change they produce in plants as they either flower or die away. And like most people, I confess that in winter months, I am less eager to sit out in the cold pulling weeds than I am on a 25-degree day.

It is likely that in five years from now, your garden will have changed a little or a lot. So the one thing you can be certain of is that your garden will offer different experiences for you to take advantage of as times change.

August and September are the awakening 

These months are when life stirs again and becomes more active. The phone seems  to ring more and the emails flood in the most during this time.

The end of Winter is becoming a reality, and we are unconsciously already getting ready for Spring.

Yes, before you know it, it will be Christmas! It sneaks up so fast every year.

So take a moment, walk into your garden, and sit for a moment and think, "what would bring me more joy into my life because of this garden?"

In fact, what sort of garden would you like for Christmas?

Helpful advice for choosing a landscape designer in Melbourne or the Mornington Peninsula

10 Things you should Know when engaging a Landscaper

How to engage the right landscape designer in Melbourne

Is Whyte Gardens the right choice to landscape your garden?