While my husband is less than thrilled to visit gardens when on vacation, I love to see the variety of garden styles in the places I visit. I get inspiration for my own garden, admire those of a style that would not suit my garden, and just generally absorb the beauty of the plants, designs, and feelings I get while visiting.
In Italy, there was one garden that stood out, not only for its fantastic design, but also for the incredible use of hydraulic engineering in the sixteenth century to create monumental water features. This garden was at Villa d’Este in Tivoli not far from Rome. The villa was originally a Benedictine monastery but was confiscated by the papacy in the thirteenth century for use as a residence by the governor of Tivoli. It was when Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este was gifted the villa when appointed Governor of Tivoli by the Pope that the reconstruction of the villa began followed by the creation of the gardens.
The villa was beautiful with its architectural details and many frescoes but the gardens were fabulous. Set on a hill, the gardens were terraced to follow the slope. Paths with wide stairs descended the slope on either side of a central axis to grassy lawns bordered with plantings of trees, shrubs and perennials. Everything was in a very formal and balanced style with many beds having symmetrical plantings. Pools, water cascades, fountains and jets accented the design at every turn. Seeing such a dramatic display of water was very refreshing for a New Mexican who is used to being very conservative with the use of water.
Driving through other areas of Italy and seeing other not quite so spectacular gardens, I was impressed with the formality of the landscape designs and the manipulation of plant shapes to compliment this style. In the area of Montecatini Terme we passed many farms where trees and shrubs were grown for the nursery trade. Nearly every specimen had been clipped to a perfectly symmetrical shape. They were beautiful but I wondered how such formality would fit in my garden. I think I’ll just enjoy formal garden styles when I visit other gardens and continue with my more natural design in my own garden.
Visiting gardens will always be my passion. It’s such fun to see the work of others, admire the styles, then come home to putter in my own little corner of the world.
