The Stones. Central Victoria
Hello everyone,
How excited I am to invite you to a very special event that’s been in the wings for awhile…there have just been some logistics and arm-twisting involved! At last though, we have a date for what I know will be a compelling presentation by JEREMY VALENTINE on FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER. about the captivating garden he and partner GRANT FRANCIS have created at THE STONES (CENTRAL VICTORIA).
To say I cannot decide which image to choose to tempt you here is partly due to the fact I don’t want to spoil the surprise in store! For every nook and cranny, every hidden view around a corner, down a path, up a step or two, through a gate, under a shaded arbour (all dreamed up and made by these two); to the bleached paddocks beyond (in season) and the annual, mysterious rising of the (mostly dormant) waters of the Yandoit that flows intermittently at the bottom of their elevated position, is likely to make your heart skip a beat…a garden where colour, texture and scale; harmony and juxtaposition are beautifully at play with light and landscape; where at times you must pause and at others you are beckoned onwards.
Gardens like The Stones, created little by little over years by their owners are treasures. The kind we don’t stumble upon every day. The kind of gardens made by trial, error, discovery, delight and hard labour (though it be a labour of love) that evolve gradually, through painstaking attention to detail and creativity, to fruition.
This has indeed been the way The Stones has developed. A once-upon-a-time dairy farm in the harsh dry country to the north of Daylesford in Central Victoria, Jeremy and Grant took custodianship of The Stones in 2013. They have treated her with care, sensitivity and great dollops of imagination. Built in the same era as Glenmore c.1850’s (an also once-upon-a-time dairy farm with a stone house as focal point); although very different in style, we align in the shared necessity to restore and unite a series of vernacular buildings. Although our climates are vastly different, we share a similar palette of plant material, though used in different ways: combinations at The Stones are on a tighter scale than here, such was the collection of buildings Jeremy & Grant had to contend with. These commonalities make Jeremy and me smile…we’ve enjoyed an old-fashioned kind of penpal correspondence for a number of years and I know him to be a fabulous raconteur. I’ve no doubt you will be be highly engaged; transported to a land of enchantment, as we follow the journey of The Stones (via image and conversation) and all its little pockets of delight… from where it was just eleven years ago, to where it is today.
As always, there will be a garden-inspired lunch to follow Jeremy’s presentation, with time to continue the conversation. Truly, this day will be such an inspiration for anyone embarking upon their own garden journey…as well as for all who enjoy gardens that invigorate and invite you to explore their twists and turns. As artists and collectors, with eyes well honed to a good vintage find (across furniture, fashion and the great gamut between) Jeremy and Grant’s combined knowledge and skill (what they couldn’t do themselves, they’ve learned along the way) has brought about that unique result where interior and garden, their living spaces inside and out, are in tandem…the entirety of The Stones has a certain je ne sais quoi…with character and panache that will hold you spellbound.
Timed to coincide with the stirring of spring, to set your gardening inspiration alight, all the details and the booking form are here. As ever, if you have any questions please get in touch.
Whilst you will find lots of images and get a taste of Jeremy’s potent descriptions of the garden on instagram, there’s nothing quite like meeting the makers – such gardens are without doubt, an expression and extension of the personalities of their owners.
How we hope you will be tempted to join us for a day of pure garden inspiration and fun!
With very warm wishes
Mickey
