Despite the name, for most of the year this is more of a park where you can take your dog for a run than a horticultural garden. The busy season is apparently spring when the garden takes on a new dimension. At all times of the year, it is still rather elegant and offers some interesting features.
There is an attractive greenhouse called the "Tepidarium", the biggest in Italy. It was designed by Giacomo Roster and opened in 1880.
The garden becomes something special in April and May when flower exhibitions are held as well as an important plant and flower market where you can buy all sorts of plants. That would be the time to visit. Not far from the Tepiarium is an elegant loggia.
At this time of the year, not much is in bloom. There were bunches of paper-whites that had naturalized and a few odd iris blooming here and there.
A fig tree is trained along a fence, and there is a pergola covered with wisteria.
There were fruits on a plant I was not able to identify. These fruits were the size of Japanese quinces, but the bushes were very thorny and the fruit very warty. Perhaps someone will know what it is.
The great feature of the garden is a piece of garden art, a huge snake or dragon.
It comes out of a pond at an upper level and dives into the ground to come back out and snake its way to a lower level.
Like all reptiles, it has an intricate scale skin.
The snake is is in fact a rill that carries water between two pools.
It looks more like a dragon than a snake as it also has wings. You will notice that his eyes are made with the "raised saucer" mentioned in my recent post on terracotta.
There is an attractive greenhouse called the "Tepidarium", the biggest in Italy. It was designed by Giacomo Roster and opened in 1880.
The garden becomes something special in April and May when flower exhibitions are held as well as an important plant and flower market where you can buy all sorts of plants. That would be the time to visit. Not far from the Tepiarium is an elegant loggia.
At this time of the year, not much is in bloom. There were bunches of paper-whites that had naturalized and a few odd iris blooming here and there.
There were fruits on a plant I was not able to identify. These fruits were the size of Japanese quinces, but the bushes were very thorny and the fruit very warty. Perhaps someone will know what it is.
The great feature of the garden is a piece of garden art, a huge snake or dragon.
It comes out of a pond at an upper level and dives into the ground to come back out and snake its way to a lower level.
Like all reptiles, it has an intricate scale skin.
The snake is is in fact a rill that carries water between two pools.
It looks more like a dragon than a snake as it also has wings. You will notice that his eyes are made with the "raised saucer" mentioned in my recent post on terracotta.
What a neat snake!
ReplyDeleteThe texture is quite impressive.
DeleteNow that is a greenhouse that would suit me very well, just what I need. The plant is Poncirus trifoliata, a close relative to citrus. It has beautifully fragrant flowers that smell of orange blossom. It is something that I have loved and lost one cold winter. Happy New Year Alain.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for getting the name. I picked one of the fruit which is full of ripe seeds. The plant would not survive in my garden but perhaps I could try it as a bonsai.
DeleteNow that is a greenhouse that would suit me very well, just what I need. The plant is Poncirus trifoliata, a close relative to citrus. It has beautifully fragrant flowers that smell of orange blossom. It is something that I have loved and lost one cold winter. Happy New Year Alain.
ReplyDeleteThank you for identifying that plant. I was hoping some knowledgeable gardener would be able to.
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ReplyDeleteSorry Angie, I erased your comment by mistake. You are right, it must have taken a lot of work to build that snake!
DeleteI have to wonder who the brave, creative soul was who had the vision to create something as unique as the snake/dragon. Loggias and conservatories are straightforward, but the snake? Sure keeps things from getting dull!
ReplyDeleteIt does keep things from getting dull. I am sure it must be a big hit with children.
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