Italian roses in bloom

May in Italy is the month of the rose – and the Italians do like their roses. Gardens up and down the country, public and private, are now coming alight with their odours and blooms… While we in the United Kingdom have to wait until at least June to enjoy our roses – “When summer’s […]

Garden retreats, La Mortella

A great love story and an indomitable passion have shaped one of the most memorable garden landscapes in Italy. We re-visit the exotic retreat on the island of Ischia and remember the wonderful Lady Walton… All great gardens are love stories – the love of the gardener for his or her creation, but La Mortella is something special. […]

Gardens of the Northern Lakes

Historically a trailblazer in garden design, Italy still wows with its gorgeous giardini. Fleur Kinson finds variety in all its splendour on the shores of the northern lakes. Italy, like England, is one of the great gardening nations of Europe and was hugely influential in the evolution of ideas about green spaces arranged for pleasure […]