Origins, Characteristics, and Italian Garden Design Ideas
An Italianate garden is a formal garden design perfected inRenaissanceItaly.
The hallmark of an Italian garden isorder, as expressed by symmetry and an ultra-manicured look.
Maintaining and implementing the design requires extensive hardscaping, formal lines, and daily maintenance.
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Origins of the Italian Garden
The Italian garden has its roots in ancient Rome.
Wealthy Romans complemented their majestic villas with equally impressive outdoor rooms.
These formal gardens made a comeback in Italy during the Renaissance, defining the Italian garden you see today.
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Water features such as fountains and reflecting pools were installed to mitigate excessive warmth and shadypergolas.
The Italian garden would be terraced if the property rested on a hillside.
While flowers are planted, their function is as an accent.
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One of the most important characteristics of this style is the use ofevergreen shrubsmeticulously sheared into short hedges.
Such hedges typically line a hardscape walkway, serving as its edging.
Italian Renaissance gardens were ornamental.
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The walls of the medieval garden had been built high to keep out animals and trespassers.
No such concerns existed on the great Italian estates of the Renaissance.
Shorter walls and hedges were employed to separate outdoor rooms for aesthetic reasons.
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Costs come from both creating and maintaining the garden.
Moreover, the classic style is suitable only for large properties.
If you have a smaller yard, you could create a courtyard with at least an Italian garden feel.
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Most gardens have a water feature and high-quality pots for container plants.
Lemon trees or herbs arranged symmetrically in terra-cotta pots are characteristic of Italian gardens.
A classic component of the Italian garden is the hardscape walkway.
On large properties, multiple walkways should connect the various outdoor rooms of your garden.
Install hedges around the perimeter to encase your courtyard.
Suggest the look of an Italian garden by installing an arbor or a pergola.
These structures also have two practical functions: to provide shade and support for a floral accent ofclimbing plants.
Evergreen shrubs create the hedges to edge walkways or surround the courtyard.
Use them in topiaries to create accents.
Classic choices are:
Italian cypress(Cupressus sempervirens) is an excellent choice for a vertical accent.
or another columnar shrub.
This roofing grid may be left open or covered.
Pergolas give structure to garden plants and define spaces.
Use different heights, topiaries, tall plants in the back,and pedestalsto feature stunning flowers and foliage.
It’s also famous for its abundance of citrus, lavender, olive trees, and grapes.
Incorporate anherbal gardento perfume the air with these botanical scents.
Mark the walkway withterra-cotta tilesor similar design elements for an intentionally crafted space.
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Italian gardens are overwhelmingly green, as color is not a main focus.
Though there are some flowers and brightly-colored plants, these gardens consist mostly of shades of green.
Flowers are usually not central features in Italian gardens.
Vegetables aren’t typically found in Italianate gardens, though herbs are a staple.
Pliny, Letters on the Tuscan Villa (1st century).Bard Graduate Center.
