THE ITALIAN GARDEN by JONATHAN RADFORD

THE ITALIAN GARDEN by JONATHAN RADFORD

Vegetable gardens in Italian gardens

The vegetable garden often conjures images of scruffy areas of wasteland under freeway bridges or near railway tracks, or maybe an area of a garden that nobody else really wants- a sort of "No-mans' land" between garden and rubbish-tip. Well, here in Italy the vegetable garden has a far more important and social role in the community. Italian wives need vegetables, lots of vegetables to create wonderful dishes straight from the garden, whereas Italian men need space, lots of space from their rather intense, Catholic wives. This combination of social comets, both flying in totally different directions, coupled together with a few Wars, Papal rules and a social revolution here and there means that Italians now ... GROW THEIR OWN- and really rather well!!

As a garden designer I have to study social requirements, coupled with social changes, with regards to horticulture and provide a service that's as 'in tune' with its environment as with its place in time. I believe that the need for organic vegetables in our modern society has to be addressed. We insist on organic vegetables and by using intelligent garden design we can supply our dining tables with vegetables all year round, simply by basing our garden designs around the formal Italian vegetable garden.

 

Using the very same techniques used in designing infamous formal Italian gardens such as Villa Lante, Rome or Boboli, Florenceit is possible to design vegetable gardens that can make a striking feature in our gardens.

 

Many materials can be used to divide the soil of the vegetable border from falling onto the pathways and highlight any formality in the design.

  Vegetable gardens in Italian gardens (Continued)
If we choose to plant hedges along these formal lines, we can choose from boxwood or yew, to rosemary or lavender. However, hedges, beautiful as they are, require maintenance and that word is almost banned in my gardens! This particular garden was transformed from a building site into a lush vegetable garden in just one short winter, that's a few months, using a system named ecologica. This system uses the logic of ecology and old Italian agricultural practises coupled with a general understanding of lunar cycles to provide both beauty and flavour in the garden, and the results speak for themselves from the visual impact...

...to the table- mmm...!

  Vegetable plants can be purchased using coins, as opposed to notes, as they're not expensive. In fact the installation of a 'formal Italian vegetable garden' can save up to 50% on initial installation!  http://www.gardendesigner.com/exp-italian_gardens_vegetable.htm