Does the idea of having a cookie-cutter garden design concern you? Do you want your garden to reflect your personal artist tastes? Is rejuvenating your garden a chore that needs to be ticked off as done or is it an opportunity to elevate your way of life?
Let's talk first about what this really means...
What do we mean by a Cookie-cutter garden
The Cambridge Dictionary defines cookie-cutter as:
" Similar to other things of the same type, especially in a way that shows little imagination"
Well, if you were thinking of buying a new car, and you didn't want a cookie cutter car, what would you buy? Car manufacturers release the 'Sport' version of certain vehicles to allow those who don't want cookie-cutter vehicles to feel they are getting something special, so perhaps you are a 'Sport' type of person. Or, maybe you buy a Tesla to avoid the cookie-cutter. And then again, you may be the Porsche driver who chooses the various options and special paint colour.
Cookie-cuter is relative and each person has their own unique idea about what is and isn't.
Okay, so in terms of the garden, what does this mean?
What makes a garden Cookie-cutter
Not everyone aspires to the highest quality or most uniquely designed garden. Anything less than the often-expressed "It must have a Wow Factor" does not make a garden cookie-cutter.
A garden should be judged only by 'you' as to whether it is cookie-cutter.
"A garden is cookie-cutter when you feel uninspired by it."
When your designer presents the Concept Design to you and after viewing it you feel flat, that is a sure indication you need to talk with your designer and express how you feel and ask what they can do to make the design more inspiring.
What makes a garden Custom-made
The Cambridge Dictionary defines custom-made as:
" Specially made for a particular person"
You see, it is all about you. What you desire and appreciate, how you want to use the space, how you wish to share the space with others, etc.
The same reason you wear that dress at a formal social event or choose the picture to hang over the mantle place or where to go on holiday, it's about the authentic you being expressed.
I call my wife 'Mrs Community'. She helps raise funds at our kids' school at Red Hill. She is the president of Tyabb Cubs. She helps in many other groups because of her desire to serve others. She loves to see others thrive, which is lovely to watch. So, when it comes to a garden at our home, the consideration is around, how others will enjoy sharing the space with us.
If you are on a committee with an Arts group, you may desire to have a garden that displays art in some way. If you are a teacher, maybe you are all about creating a space for kids to play. Whatever the desire, who you are needs expressed in the design of your garden.
So to answer the question of, "What makes a garden custom-made?"
"A custom-made garden makes you feel a sense of admiration for being authentic to who you are."
Avoiding the cookie-cutter garden pitfalls
If we have now established that a custom-made garden is one authentic to who you are, let's first define the word authentic:
Webster Dictionary: "true to one's own personality, spirit, or character"
The following are examples of what our design team created to provide the client with imaginative ideas to avoid looking like a cookie-cutter element.
This Brighton project was a path to the front door that gave a feeling of uniqueness.
The stone supplied by Eco Outdoor of Richmond is a lovely stone that adds a great deal of interest as you walk to the front door.
The pattern called Filetti was replicated in other aspects of the project also.
This Essendon project had several requests to make it authentic.
This statue was bought by the client with her deceased husband in Bali.
It was important to be given a place as a feature.
This simple crazy pave circle in our Brighton East project is almost like an abstract piece of art lying down.
The client wanted to view something outside that drew her eye and invited her to go outside.
She has since commented that she tends to leave the sliding doors open and feels the inside and outside have become as one and made the area feel larger.
She enjoys visitors arriving and going out to sit on the seats outside.
The Mt Eliza project the client wished for a sauna to be in the pool area along with a hot tub also.
The pool area no longer became the warmer months place to visit but an all year round place.
The pool, sauna, hot tub, and a firepit were all included in the one entertainment area so people could enjoy what they gravitated to.
This entrance at our McCrae project was anything but cookie-cutter.
As a coastal holiday home, the client desired a feeling of luxury on the weekends the family stayed there.
The curved walls allowed a softer feeling that guided your eye to the entrance gate.
The entrance gate was custom made to suit the dimensions of the space and provide an elegant yet secure gated area.
What do you gain from a Custom-made garden
Something that is custom-made tends to elevate the experience and provide more joy, fulfilment, even functionality.
Viewing or using something in your garden that you have personally contributed to allows a sense or pride or fulfilment to to exist.
Whereas cookie-cutter ticks the boxes, custom-made opens the door to adventure, intrigue, excitement, and the creation of lifelong memories.
A garden that has those 'personal touches' of you, is one that is admired and one that is shared with others. the impact of a well-designed garden upon the lives on all those who share in it, can not be underestimated. You build a better world to live in when you add aesthetic and functional qualities to living life.
We hope you have found this article useful and should you have any questions you would like to ask, please reach out to us and we will do our best to point you in the right direction. You can contact us by phone or email here.
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