Highfields Garden
The first Australian farm gardens were heavily influenced by the gardens of England and Europe. Although designed and planted only 13 years ago by Rick Eckersley, Highfields at Mt Macedon in Victoria is very much in that mould. The garden also has strong Australian overtones, even though it does not contain many Australian plants. It is not fussy or ostentatious, but a good rural garden that is easy on the eye and reflects the 1970s style of the house.
Features of the garden
The plants at Highfields are not pampered and they all survive with very little water. The area is very windy, so Rick has designed garden rooms which give shelter from the strong winds. Many farm driveways feature avenues of trees, and at Highfields the driveway is lined with box elders (Acer negundo), underplanted with agapanthus (Agapanthus praecox). Plantings of ornamental grasses in the garden blend with grassed paddocks where animals graze. An old shearing shed and the stockyards have been planted out with roses, and an old milking shed supports clematis.
Further information
Rick Eckersley
Eckersley Garden Architecture
03 9421 5537
[email protected]
www.e-ga.com.au
The garden is open privately from time to time in the spring. Look for details in local media.