How to Avoid the Landscaping Mistakes That Date Your Home
Here, the outmoded garden trends that design pros see most often.
4 min
LIKE SPIKY haircuts and skinny jeans, your landscaping choices will inevitably skid out of style. Even certain planting techniques are being abandoned by designers and landscape-architecture gurus.
Consider rows of ornamentals such as pansies and impatiens sidling up to hydrangea. This froufrou fantasy surged as a status symbol in the 1950s, said New York designer Laurence Carr, but is far too resource-sucking today. “Functional gardens are the way of the future,” said Ms. Carr, who sees hodgepodges of “edible plants, bushes and trees, including many native plants, pollinators and medicinals,” sprouting instead.
We polled scores of pros for what else counts as passe landscaping these days, and got their picks for what to plant instead.
Dated: Los Angeles interior designer Susan Davis Taylor’s clients used to pave paradise, opting for a concrete or flagstone pool deck “leaving very little room for natural grass or garden spaces.”
Up-to-date: Lawn that is brought right up to the pool coping creates a resort-like beauty. Lounges and chairs sit on minimal hardscaping and look as if they are on the grass, said Ms. Taylor. The platforms “protect the furniture from water damage while leaving a luscious green yard that goes to the pool’s edge.”
Dated: Popular in the 1980s and ’90s, triple-tiered fountains recall Italian piazzas in a way that would have been appealing to Tony and Carmela Soprano. Beyond outmoded, the flourish condemns you to a life of fighting the algae that grows in them, said Miami architect Kobi Karp.
Up-to-date: A sculpture can solidify the relationship between a house and its plot, Mr. Karp said. “Purchase a piece with large scale and mass,” he said. “A smooth piece with some curvilinear aspects can make a striking juxtaposition against informal planting and foliage.”
Dated: “Red mulch in planting beds was a very unfortunate trend,” said Miami-based landscape designer Fernando Wong, who noted the choice was born at Walt Disney World in the 1960s and crept throughout suburbia from there. The hue is not really orange or red, he said, “just some bizarre in-between, like a bad dye job.”
Up-to-date: Mr. Wong seeks out chemical-free options that add nutrients to the soil, like mini pine-bark mulch. The top dressing is “nothing more than shredded pine tree, and easily found at most garden centers,” he said.
Dated: Foundation planting—shrubs and trees so close to a home’s footing they appear to choke it—can cause mold on siding if greenery gets too big, make home repairs thorny and raise hell with your home’s base. John VerDerBer, landscape designer at his family’s Aquebogue, N.Y., nursery, never positions flora closer than 3 feet from a foundation.
Up-to-date: “High-end clients want to see more of their houses, so we plant larger trees at the corners and dwarf specimens between, or we plant perennials and grasses, not shrubs, around the house,” Mr. VerDerBer said.
Dated: Carleton Varney, president of Dorothy Draper & Co., based in Palm Beach, Fla., would give all the overt outdoor ornamentation that peaked in the 1990s—like fanciful bird baths, globes and angel statues—the heave-ho.
Up-to-date: “These days it’s much more chic to have a pared-back garden that embraces natural beauty,” he said. Installing a surface-level bird bath with the still water of a small pond is preferable for Mr. Varney today, especially a copper specimen that will patina over time. “You will still enjoy the benefits of having a bird bath without having it be a focal point,” he said.
Dated: In the 1990s, landscapers plopped boulders onto grounds to add dimension—and unsurprisingly, the big stones sit there still. The problem, said Cara Fox, owner and lead designer for the Fox Group in Holladay, Utah: “So often, they aren’t authentic to the topography of the land.”
Up-to-date: Ms. Fox prefers to install equally substantive bushes with a similar scale. Ideally they would be right for the area’s hardiness zone, the USDA standard for determining if a plant can thrive in a location. For zones 4 through 8, which cover most of the U.S., that would be quick-growing hornbeam hedge or bush, “which can be trimmed to any scale,” she said.
Dated: The Algerian and English ivy that dominated facades in the 1950s and ’60s “makes a good rat hotel,” said James Lord, principal of San Francisco landscape architecture and urban design firm Surfacedesign. Ivy also creeps under siding, and its little rootlets exploit and expand cracks in mortar. Mr. Lord added that the climbing clinger—installed to replicate an East Coast prep look—also pushes out indigenous species and strangles trees.
Up-to-date: Mr. Lord would re-create the eye-candy appeal of climbing vines with their less-grasping cousin, twining vines, because they shimmy up supports like cables instead. He favors passion flower and trumpet vine in the Bay Area, because they’re “all seasonally more interesting than ivy, and won’t undermine the integrity of your wall.”
Dated: With the flounciness of a rococo ball gown, florals that ring tree trunks in rainbow circles are now more musty than must-have. “The plants are too orderly,” said New York designer Chris Shao.
Up-to-date: Mr. Shao would color outside the lines, loosen restrictive delineations and sow a mix of native species in a comparatively fluid style for a more contemporary tree skirt.
Dated: Geometrically spaced drifts of a single species have held sway for two decades, but they’re not getting a second glance from Sutter Wehmeier, principal of Base Landscape Architecture, in Portland, Ore.
Up-to-date: Mr. Wehmeier prefers vegetation that “injects a hint of wildness without getting disorderly,” such as regionally appropriate ground covers and wildflowers that will seasonally pop up and recede “like fireworks.”
Reprinted by permission of Mansion Global. Copyright 2021 Dow Jones & Company. Inc. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Original date of publication: August 13, 2021
Copyright 2020, Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. LEARN MORE
A rare slice of Sydney history, Coolabah blends Victorian grandeur with modern luxury in the heart of Greenwich; once home to Lane Cove’s first Lord Mayor and now listed with a $6.5m guide.
Bhutan is pioneering a new frontier in travel by allowing tourists to pay for flights, visas, hotels and even fruit stalls using cryptocurrency via Binance Pay.
Melbourne’s lifestyle appeal is driving record population growth — and rising rents. Here are the six most expensive suburbs to rent a house in right now.
5 min
Melbourne is considered Australia’s most liveable city. In fact, Melbourne competes on the global stage, consistently ranking among Time Out’s top cities to live in the world and ranking fourth in 2025. Melbourne is a cultural mecca filled with arts, x, and the country’s best sporting events.
It’s the lifestyle factor that has seen Melbourne’s population grow by over 142,000 people over the 23/24 financial year, largely driven by overseas migration. With increased population comes increased demand for properties, particularly in the rental market.
Akin to Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, Melbourne’s South Eastern suburbs, towards Bayside and the water, dominate the most expensive suburbs listed to rent across the Victorian capital.
In this article, we’ve examined the six most expensive suburbs to rent a house in Melbourne right now, according to property data analytics firm Cotality (formerly CoreLogic).
Brighton
Median purchase: $3.15m
Median rent: $1,353
Brighton is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to rent a house, and it’s easy to see why. A blend of grand period homes and modern architectural builds line the wide, tree-filled streets. The suburb is synonymous with luxury, and rental properties—especially those close to the famed Brighton Beach and its iconic bathing boxes—are snapped up quickly. Vacancy rates sit at a tight 0.9 per cent.
The Neighbourhood
Brighton offers an enviable mix of a beachside lifestyle and convenient shopping and dining. With access to top schools like Brighton Grammar and Firbank, plus Church Street’s boutiques and the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, the Bayside suburb is the complete package for Melbourne’s high-end renters.
Malvern
Median purchase: $2.8m
Median rent: $1,313
Long known for its timeless Victorian and Edwardian homes, Malvern is a leafy inner suburb with prestige appeal. Many properties here are fully renovated period homes, featuring extensive gardens and original features that appeal to families and executives.
The Neighbourhood
Malvern boasts a refined atmosphere with a strong community feel. Glenferrie Road and High Street offer upscale cafes, boutiques, and grocers, while schools like De La Salle and St Joseph’s make the suburb particularly attractive to families.
Black Rock
Median purchase: $2.29m
Median rent: $1,253
Nestled along the Bayside coast, Black Rock has seen steady growth in both house prices and rents in recent years. Larger blocks and a quieter, more laid-back vibe than neighbouring suburbs make this a coveted spot for renters seeking both space and lifestyle.
The Neighbourhood
Black Rock is home to the picturesque Half Moon Bay and scenic cliffside walks. The suburb blends beachside charm with village convenience, offering local cafés, golf courses, and direct access to some of Melbourne’s best coastal trails.
Sandringham
Median purchase: $2.21m
Median rent: $1,199
Sandringham, next door to Black Rock, offers more of the same as its neighbouring suburb, at similar prices. Sandringham too ticks the box for laid-back waterside recreation, with the majority of homes in walking distance to the sand and charming village shops.
The Neighbourhood
This is a family-friendly suburb with a strong community vibe. Sandringham Village, with its mix of cafes, wine bars, and boutiques, sits just a short walk from the train station and beach. The area also offers excellent sporting facilities and parks. Sandringham Harbour is the local landmark, a popular destination for boating, fishing, and waterfront views from Sandringham Yacht Club.
Canterbury
Median purchase: $3.15m
Median rent: $1,179
Canterbury is the innermost Melbourne suburb on this list. It is considered one of Melbourne’s most prestigious suburbs, defined by grand family homes, generally over-the-top opulent new builds with French Provincial façades behind gated entries.
The Neighbourhood
Canterbury is anchored by the exclusive “Golden Mile” precinct and is surrounded by elite private schools such as Camberwell Grammar and Strathcona. Maling Road provides a quaint village feel, while the area’s lush green spaces complete the picture of prestige.
Hampton
Median purchase: $2.3m
Median rent: $1,171
It’s back to Bayside for the sixth and final suburb on the priciest rental areas in Melbourne. Hampton is not too dissimilar to Brighton, with a main High Street providing convenience and the beach rounding out the relaxed lifestyle found on the bay. The suburb has undergone significant gentrification, with many original homes replaced by contemporary builds.
The Neighbourhood
With a stretch of clean, family-friendly beach and the bustling Hampton Street shopping strip, Hampton has everything renters could want—from stylish cafes to gourmet grocers and boutique fitness studios. Its proximity to Brighton and Sandringham only adds to its appeal.
Melbourne’s Cheapest Suburb: Melton South
Median purchase: $460,000
Median rent: $430
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Melton South—roughly 40km west of the CBD—offers the most affordable rental market. With a median rent of under $450 a week, it’s less than a third of the weekly rent in Brighton. The suburb attracts families and first-home renters seeking value and larger land lots.
Melbourne’s Best Suburb: Toorak
Toorak is considered the Point Piper of Melbourne. Boasting even more billionaires than Sydney’s harbourside hotspot, Toorak is home to Melbourne’s most expensive houses, and reportedly Australia’s most expensive house sale if the 1860s Italianate mansion Coonac settles at over $130 million.
The suburb has some of the best educational institutions in Melbourne, as well as luxury homes on the Yarra, two train stations, and a central shopping precinct undergoing a full transformation with several mixed-use retail and residential developments. It is definitely the place to be.
Where is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to rent a house?
As of May 2025, Brighton is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to rent a house.
Where is Melbourne’s cheapest suburb to rent a unit?
As of May 2025, Melton South is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to rent a house.
Where is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to buy a house?
As of May 2025, Toorak is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to buy a house.
Where is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to buy a unit?
As of May 2025, Beaumaris is Melbourne’s most expensive suburb to buy a unit
In an era of snapping quick selfies, Britain’s Royal Society of Portrait Painters has seen a 40% increase in the number of U.S. clients.
Biophilic design isn’t just about adding greenery—it’s about creating immersive, sensory-rich spaces that restore, inspire, and connect us to the natural world.
