Stuart Rattle had a passionate desire to write and publish a book about Musk Farm, his country retreat at Daylesford. The figures never added up though.
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Ten months after his death, at the hands of long-time partner Michael O'Neill, Rattle's dream has been realised by former partner, close friend and neighbour, landscape designer Paul Bangay.
The result is Stuart Rattle's Musk Farm, a tribute to the late 53-year-old's creative interior design skills and his passionate approach to gardening which saw him transform a derelict site into 14 garden rooms beloved by the public when it opened.
A collaboration between Bangay, who wrote the foreword, exquisite photography by Earl Carter and Simon Griffiths and words by Annemarie Kiely, the book is being released on Wednesday, with proceeds going to a project dear to Rattle's heart, the further restoration of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens in Daylesford.
"I was so disappointed that Stuart couldn't do a book so after his death I decided that I would do it, even if I had to self-publish, but my publisher said she'd help so I'm very happy," Bangay said.
He said Musk Farm, the dilapidated Musk schoolhouse and surrounding 30 hectares that Rattle bought in 1998 and turned into a wonderland, both inside and out, was everything his friend believed in both as a designer and a human being.
On learning of Rattle's death, Bangay left his neighbouring property, Stonefields, and went, in a state of shock, to Musk Farm and walked around the garden just as he had many times before with his dear friend.
"I haven't been back since. I can't see someone else living there. It's too painful. I want to remember it the way Stuart had it."
The new owners declined to comment on other plans for the property.
While Rattle's talents lay with design and his use of lush fabrics to create elegant interiors he took to gardening like a seasoned horticulturist, despite no formal training.
"Musk Farm was a plants man's garden. Stuart was driven more by plants than design. His mother said that he became obsessed with gardens as a child and when he and I met 30 years ago we'd visit gardens and nurseries.
"The thing about Stuart was that he was so detailed and precise about what he wanted. He loved craftsmanship and everything was beautifully made and well-researched."
Bangay says he has lost a great friend and the design world has lost an exceptional talent.
"It was such a horrible, horrible shock and he's left a huge hole. I relied on Stuart so much. We were such great mates."
On a happier note, Bangay married his partner, Barry, this year at the Chelsea Town Hall in London. "It was very exciting. Pity we couldn't do it here."
Stuart Rattle's Musk Farm, published by Lantern. RRP $39.99