Villa Carlotta

Wow! This has to be one of the most amazing gardens I've ever visited. Think Trebah and the Lost Gardens of Heligan, add in the Alps and Italian Lakes as a backdrop and you are starting to get the picture! The Villa was built at the end of the 17th Century by the Milanese marquis Giorgio Clerici. Visitors are allowed in all the rooms and they are breathtaking - especially the ceilings, which I tried to photograph before a fierce looking lady shook her finger at me. Once again the views were stunning. And the azaleas were out of this world.

I loved this planting combination of hostas and forget-me-nots:

There was an impressive bamboo collection:

I loved this unusual variety of Iris, I've never seen it before. It has many flowers to a stem. Perhaps someone else out there knows of it?

There was another towering Wisteria climbing up towards Giant Land.

A 'green wall' had been ingeniously created using a form of industrial wadding, made from cotton waste.

Oranges and lemons hung from pergolas:

 

I'd like to take this cheeky chappy home:

Even a sign for the toilets looked beautiful against the azure waters of Lake Como:

Ciao for now!

Switzerland for a day...

Having visited Lugano about 14 years ago on a choir tour, I was keen to revisit the city, as it's so close to where I'm staying on the Italian Lakes. Back then I hadn't discovered horticulture, so this time I made sure I visited the Parco Botanico San Grato, on a mountain overlooking Lake Lugano. Breathtaking views can be gleaned from this high altitude garden. And there were some unexpected botanical treats.

Davidia Involucrata

In Lugano itself, the local coucil have done the city proud with their roadside and lakeside planting.

I particulary like the combination of pink tulips rising through clouds of pink and blue forget-me-nots. Sorry the picture is not good, it was a busy road and I was not prepared to stand in the middle of it!

Finally, has anyone seen Wisteria climb as high as this?

Gardens of Villa Melzi, Bellagio

The sun shone down as I made my way around my first Italian garden. The villa was built between 1808 and 1810 for Francesco Melzi d'Eril, vice president of the ItalianRepublic under Napoleon and then Grand Chancellor of the Italian Republic. The garden was designed by architect Luigi Canonica and botanist Luigi Villoresi. The gardens are built along the shore of Lake Como, allowing for some gorgeous vistas...

There were many plants familiar to British gardeners, but they were about a month ahead of the UK. Acers were in full leaf and looking spectacular...

Rhododendrons and azaleas are also early. A local lady explained that tourists come to see them in May, and this year they will be over. I guess I'm just lucky!

Lago Di Como

Ciao! Have settled into beautiful villa on Lake Como - here is the view from the balcony:

I haven't done any garden visiting yet, but just strolling along the promenade at Como and taking a little boat trip around the south of the lake allowed me to glimpse some beautiful scenes. So here they are!