What is an Italian garden?

Italian gardens are stylistically based on symmetry, axial geometry and on the principle of imposing order over nature. It influenced the history of gardening, especially French gardens and English gardens.

What are the characteristics of an Italian garden?

• Design - Symmetry is essential in Italian garden design. Flower beds are shaped in squares, rectangles or triangles, avoiding using curves and sweeps common to English gardens. Because many Italian gardens are on hillsides, they are laid out on several levels, or terraces, offering places to stand and enjoy the surrounding view as well as see the garden from above. The symmetry in the design represents order and balance, which illustrates man’s power over nature.

• Decoration - In Italy, gardens are considered an extension of the entertainment area of the home, so it is decorated in the same manner, with plenty of art. Sculptures of gods, goddesses and heroes of ancient legends are common. Lemon trees, potted in stone urns, are popular decorations for the patio or seating areas.

• Private sanctuary - A hideaway in the garden that might contain a vine-draped pergola or just a tucked-away bench provides an intimate getaway space.

• Plants - Traditional Italian gardens have few flowers. Instead favouring evergreens, manicured into geometric hedges or topiaries. Italian cypress, boxwoods and junipers are some of the plants commonly used to form living walls and identify different parts of the garden. Other green plants are massed within the borders of the geometric beds. Italians also like to cover stone walls with trellised foliage vines or climbing roses.