The view of an original Italian garden can be a treat for gardeners who appreciate traditional style and a keen fascination with history. The main feature of an Italian landscape is order and order, which is evident in symmetry and a highly manicured look. By using formal lines, hardscape, and extensive upkeep, most homeowners can’t afford the style. However, certain features and elements can be incorporated into the garden of your home for Italian design.
Origins of the Italian Garden
The Italian garden has its origins in the earliest days of Rome. The wealthy Romans added their grand villas by constructing equally impressive outdoor spaces. Hedges of boxwood and brick walls separated the rooms. The eye was also delighted with the addition of the topiary. Pliny is the younger, who discusses the layout of his Tuscan estate in these terms the trimmed hedges of boxwood hedges and other boxwoods which were sculpted to make topiaries that depict animals. 1..
The formal gardens of the past were revived in Italy during the Renaissance, giving the Italian garden we see today. Like their Roman grandparents, wealthy Italians showed off their wealth with impressive villas and outdoor living spaces, allowing them to enjoy the mild Italian climate truly. The water features like fountains were built to reduce excessive heat, as well as shaded pergolas. The Italian garden was terraced if the house was on a hill.
Characteristics of the Italian Garden
Medieval walled gardens, which reflected the plight of the period, were functional and were used to produce food. Italian Renaissance gardens were beautiful.
Its walls in the medieval gardens were built high to keep the animals and intruders. No such concern existed in the grand Italian estates built during the Renaissance. A shorter hedge and wall were used to divide outdoor spaces for aesthetic reasons. However, people were expected to have the opportunity to look at the Italian gardens to admire their beauty and see out from the park to the surrounding landscape. However, private nooks might be found in one of the outdoor spaces, where people could relax on a bench within the shade of pergolas.
The emphasis in this Italian garden is hardscape evergreen plants (often described as”the “bones” of the park) and Mediterranean herbs, not flowers. Although the flowers have been planted, the purpose is to provide a focal point. One of the critical features of this style is the usage of evergreen plants carefully cut into shorter hedges. These hedges usually line a walkway made of hardscape and act as edges.
Creating an Italian Garden at Home
The classic Italian garden was a showcase of wealth and Mediterranean climate; today’s homeowner faces two obstacles when attempting to recreate the look of an Italian garden: price and atmosphere.
The cost is in the form of designing and maintaining the gardens. In addition, the traditional style is only suitable for huge homes. If you’ve got a smaller area, You can, however, make a garden that, with att, the Italian garden look. To design your Italian garden, you should be familiar with the three main components, hardscape, evergreen trees, and hardscapes.
Hardscape
H covers all non-living elements of an outdoor garden, encompassing fountains, walkways, traditional Greco-Roman statues, containers, and seating. Many parks have the appearance of a fountain and premium containers for container plants. The arrangement of lemon trees or other herbs, ideally in terracotta containers, is typical in Italian gardens.
The most well-known element of Italian gardening is the hardscape walkway. In large houses, multiple pathways should connect the different outdoor spaces of your garden. If you live in smaller homes and want a courtyard-style walkway or patio is an excellent option for the landscape. Set up borders of hedges to create a barrier for your deck.
Create the appearance you would like to see in an Italian garden by constructing an arbor or pergola. These structures have two essential functions: they offer shade and support for the floral accent by putting climbers on them.
Evergreen Shrubs and Mediterranean Plants
Evergreen plants and trees native to the Mediterranean are essential elements in the Italian garden. Evergreen shrubs form hedges to define walkways or protect the courtyard. They can be used in topiaries to add interest. Two popular options are
Boxwood (Buxus spp.)
Wall germander (Teucrium chamaedrys)
Italian Cypress plant ( Cupressus sempervirens) is an ideal option for a vertical accent. However, since it is suitable for zones 8-10, Northern gardeners must replace it with an elongated, tall arborvitae ( Thuja spp.) or a different columnar shrub.
