Outside

the garden designs of Rick Eckersley and Lisa Stafford

Photographs by Simon Griffiths

Publication / Embargo date: 29 August 2005

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Rick Eckersley and Lisa Stafford, two of Australia's foremost landscape designers, create gardens people wants to live in: ones that are simultaneously stimulating and comfortable. In Outside they show readers how to achieve practical yet highly individual gardens, and take them – aided by the lustrous photography of Simon Griffiths – on an exhilarating tour of nearly forty gardens they have designed, ranging from rooftop terraces and coastal retreats.

Lisa Stafford and Rick Eckersley have worked together since 1983, and today Eckersley Stafford Design, based in Melbourne, is one of Australia’s foremost landscape design firms. Both have horticultural science backgrounds and specialize in meeting clients’ briefs and overcoming site limitations to create outdoor spaces with ‘feel-good energy’. Their work has been widely written about in newspapers and magazines, and they are the authors of a previous book, Living in the Garden: Australian Style. Rick is also well known as a radio commentator on gardening for over fifteen years. Lisa commuted between a country base and Melbourne, combining work with raising a family. Simon Griffiths is a leading photographer of gardens, interiors and food. His work has appeared often in the major lifestyle magazines, and in numerous books such as Stephanie Alexander’s Cooking & Travelling in South-West France. In the field of gardening and landscape design he has collaborated with Susan Irvine on Rose Gardens of Australia and The Garden at Forest Hall, and with Paul Bangay on several books including The Balanced Garden.

“OUTSIDE”

“OUTSIDE  is the place to go for feeling the sensations and mood in the natural world beyond the intimate cocoon of our buildings. Wind rustles through our hair; rain wets the skin; sunshine warms our backs; fresh air fills the lungs and a sense of freedom is felt. The landscape is filled with all sorts of materials and plants that we are capable of discovering. And the way it is viewed and experienced is affected by the force of weather and quality of light cast over it.

Gardens are a distillation of nature that we can enjoy every day. No matter how small, the space around our homes can after some of the rewarding experiences associated with being outside. Even if only one chair provides the chance to relax in the morning sun, then time is enhanced.

The great opportunity any garden gives is the ability to shape outdoor areas to satisfy individual preferences. What many people don’t know is that outside areas have far greater potential than they ever imagined possible. Few are privileged to see the inside workings of well designed gardens, but when they do, they are really surprised.

Creating gardens to satisfy practical and aesthetic requirements so that they can be enjoyed and appreciated to the full is not an easy feat. Some do it naturally, creating the best garden ever. But many will waver and seek our advice.

The priority is to work for people  who are open to creative design, Gardens give the opportunity for us to push conventional design boundaries and we want our clients to be challenged by ideas which may confront them. People can lack the confidence to create broad brush strokes outside but the outdoors is the perfect setting to go for bold and dramatic effect.

The success of our garden designs is measured by the individual. The aim is to bring satisfaction to a range of garden users. We appreciate people will experience spaces in different ways. One may want the sun beating down on them, Another may respond better to muted light. But if they are positively stimulated in one way or another, then we feel succeeded.”

Rick Eckersley & Lisa Stafford

Principal designers of

Eckersley Stafford Design

Level 1, 421a Church Street

Richmond, Victoria 3121

P: (03) 9421 5537

F: (03) 9421 4415

E: enquiries@eckersleystafford.com.au