Back to Italy!

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The final garden we visited isn’t on an island, it’s high on a peninsula so you still get lovely lake views from between the trees.

The gardens at Villa Taranto were created by a Scotsman, Captain Neil McEarcharn, back in the 1930s. He bought the villa and the 15 hectares of headland, and transformed it with rare trees and planting. He gave it to the Italian State so that his work could continue, and he died at the villa back in the 1950s. His garden is a testament to his dedication.

As you go in, each side of the path has formal bedding and perfect grass borders. They provide you with a much-needed map of the gardens, as there are several routes you can take. Having been before, we aimed at the tree fern glade.

They’re very impressive and very healthy!On past a fountain flanked by beautiful Colocasias. I wish I could grow these – espcially the dark-leaved ones.

The fountain is at the far end of a memorial avenue, leading to a mausoleum where Captain McEarcharn is (fittingly) buried.You aren’t allowed to walk along the avenue of perfect sward, but you can reach the mausoleum via a path.

Past some very exotic plants, including Hibiscus and Bouganvillea, to the highlight of the garden in early autumn – a Dahlia Maze.

One of many Hibiscus.

Bouganvillea and bananas.

The Dahlia maze is a long zig-zag path between hundreds of Dahlias in rows – so many different ones from all the classes of Dahlias.

I picked out a couple of perfect flowers out of the thousands!

There are several paths to take, but we went uphill to see the waterlily ponds and the huge pool of Lotus flowers. They had all but finished flowering, but there was just one bloom left – I hadn’t ever seen a Lotus flower before. I ws imagining the pool, covered in beautiful blooms – it must have been quite a sight.

Across the formal lily ponds to another view to the mountains.

One of the beautiful waterlilies in the pond.

My favourite!

In the garden, the micro-climate allows them to grow succulents all year round.

At the top of the hill, there’s an Italian garden. It’s very formal, but also very colourful and perfectly tended – including that smooth sward – so unlike my lawns.

A bronze statue of a fisherboy overlooks the view.

What else is there to see? So many rare trees from all corners of the globe… and all labelled, too.

Photos of this group of palm trees are used to advertise the garden. They do look spectacular against the sky.

This is the other end of the memorial avenue.

Round every corner you see lovely imaginative planting.

I was very taken with this white border. Coleus was used a lot for bordering the paths, too.

And all round the garden, you spot plants and trees that aren’t grown in the UK – well, not outside and all the year round, anyway!

Brugmansia

Solanum

Bananas

All the time, you can catch glimpses of Lake Maggiore and what a wonderful place it was to spend the day. I hope you enjoyed the trip, too!

• 2 Oct, 2013
• 15 likes

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