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 […]
Decorating
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 […]
Italian Created Nursery
Italian Inspiration for Newborns If you have a little one on the way, consider taking inspiration from two of the enchanting places in Italy when decorating your baby’s nursery: Tuscany and Venice! A nursery inspired by the hillside towns and countryside landscape of Tuscany is the perfect haven to relax […]
Vitex Agnus Castus
The Mediterranean Chastity Plant Mediterranean plants have long been attributed with having medicinal, healing properties, from the skin softening oil of the olive tree, the calming effects of the chamomile plant or even to the flatulence reducing fennel. However, rarely do we hear of a Mediterranean plant that can assist […]
Pope’s Palace in Italy
A Hidden Renaissance Palace in Tuscany palace in italy The area surrounding Montalcino has been famed for centuries by artists and poets for its beautiful yet peaceful landscapes, comprising of soft rolling valleys and lightly peppered with olive groves and vineyards of superior quality. In fact the Rosso di Montalcino […]
Garden Design for the Vatican : Vignola
Vignola: Italian Garden designer for the Vatican Italian Garden designer for the Vatican Bagnaia: Villa Lante By Jonathan Radford Above and left : water feature at Villa Lante – Right Pope Julius III > Italy is renowned for it’s fashion, it’s cuisine and it’s stunning Renaissance period. However, how many […]
Updating your Décor
Use Colors Appropriately to Update your Décor Color is one of the things that make life meaningful, you can find a reflection of each one of your moods, preferences and feeling in colors: they help you reflect your personality. But you do not have to be a top-notch interior decorator […]
Principles of Italian Decorating
Italian garden Decor in the Italian home is an inspiration for home decorators and property owners worldwide. Be it romanticism or stylishness, Italian decor delivers it every time. But home decoration Italian style is not merely about aesthetic qualities alone, it is also very much about functional utility. In this […]
The Use of Sculpture in Italian Gardens
Interpreting Italian Garden Style Correctly The Italian garden presents the garden designer in Italy with many nuances and various strong symbols that for many people symbolize Italy and everything Italian. Many garden design themes have been drawn from the Italian garden style over the years. However, just as many of […]
Recipe for The Stinging Nettle
An Italian Recipe For Stinging Nettle with Gnocchi There are very few gardeners, or children that have not had battles with the common yet ingenious stinging nettle, but there is more to this plant than may first meet the eye. Urtica dioica is a very common and widespread plant that […]