[medit-plants] Re: gardens in Italy?

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Hello from Portugal,

We had a great trip to Sicily with Maria Sansoni of the MGS German speaking group. You could contact Maria for more info or I would be happy to send on a list of the gardens we saw.

Also, of course, there is Angela Durnford of MGS Italy – you can contact her via the MGS web site international branches page or, again, send me a PM and I can send details as necessary. She has organised wonderful tours and could put you in touch with members in the area you plan to visit.

Also, there is an excellent scheme in Italy for ´Grandi Giardini Italiani´  http://www.grandigiardini.it/lang_EN/index.php?lang=en   Similar to the Jardins Remarquables of France. You will be able to see from the descriptions whether they are plant rich or architecture rich.

Apologies if you have already done all of the above !

All best wishes,

Rosie

When we lived in Aix-en-Provence several years ago, we made a weekend trip to Menton, which is just on the French-Italian border. Menton is a great base to visit gardens. Serre de la Madone is just outside of Menton. The garden was created in 1924–1939 by Lawrence Johnston, the creator of Hidcote Gardens in the UK. Near the center of town is the Jardin d'agrumes du Palais Carnolès, which features a large selection of citrus trees. Nearby, just across the border on the outskirts of Ventimiglia in Italy are the gardens of the Villa Hanbury at La Mortola, which originated in the late 19th century. Villa Hanbury was a little the worse for wear when we were there, but well worth a visit both for horticultural reasons and because it incorporates a part of the Via Aurelia, one of the ancient Roman roads. Both of these gardens emphasize plants rather than architecture, probably reflecting the British influence brought by their creators.