Imagine a fresh, clear-watered pool that contained water clean enough to drink yet also full of water lilies, rushes and a complete ecosystem living harmoniously together. Not only does the ‘ecological’, ‘biological’ or ‘natural’ swimming pool take all the complications out of the swimming pool building process, by avoiding […]
Garden
Italian Gardens
Natural Slug Control in Italy
Ever stumbled out in the morning from an all night party, only to find that your beloved Hostas or zucchini have been ravaged by a ravenous group of slugs and snails? Well, if you have – you may have, like so many others, immediately sought revenge in the […]
The Wild Artichoke
Wild Artichoke. Ph. Thistle-Garden on flickr (flic.kr/p/fzK7mH) Along the side of the motorway, at the edges of fields and on scruffy wasteland, the most majestic of all of Italy’s wild flowers reigns with nobility. Cultivated Artichoke Protected by the sharpest and most aggressive of spines, Cynara cardunculus has […]
Best Gardens in Italy, 2015
UPDATE, NOVEMBER 2015. The two best parks in Italy for 2015 have been announced: they are the Giardino di Ninfa for the private parks category and the garden at Villa Medici in Rome for the public parks category. “The most beautiful parks in Italy” competition has arrived to its 13th edition in 2015. […]
Italian Gardens
Italian Gardens: Tradition and Beauty People from the world over visit formal Italian gardens, i giardini Italiani, known for their grandiose yet tranquil ambience. Be it one of the finest Italian Renaissance gardens at Villa Lante in Rome, the renowned garden surrounding Palazzo Giusti with its cypress-lined avenues, or the […]
Italian Vegetable Garden
Anyone who was lucky enough to witness the infamous “Chelsea flower show”, in Spring in the heart of London, will have witnessed the unprecedented increase in the use of vegetables in the ornamental garden i.e. pea plants growing, delicately up wrought-iron supports, ornamental pumpkins and squashes sprawling, boldly through […]
Art Topiary in Italian Gardens
Art Topiary in Italian Gardens: Villa Lante, Bagnaia. Ph. flickr/Roberto Ferrari Italian garden design has always adopted the use of art topiary to establish strong, evergreen structures. From the origins of the Italian style gardens, designers have shaped evergreen plants into both symmetrical, obtuse and representational forms to […]
Ecological Control for Italian Gardens
Ecological solutions For Your Italian Garden Above: Ladybug eats aphids Above: Ladybug larvae eats even more Often a garden full of insects and brimming with natural life can seem somehow out of control and, to some, even full of potential garden pests. However a garden that is able to […]
A Work of Art in the Italian Garden
Garden Works of Art As you are probably aware, the garden is becoming an ever-increasing interest among the young and old alike. Many of us are now investing nearly as much time and money in our gardens as we are in our houses, making it a booming industry. Landscaping, water […]
Natural Pest Control
Natural Control for Pests in Italian Gardens Pest control with small insects The weather here in Italy is lovely right now with glorious sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures- but we are not the only ones to make the most of it…! As spring advances the pests in Italian gardens […]