greenhouses for Italian gardens

using greenhouses in italian gardens
there are many items to buy when establishing an Italian garden and these can often be expensive items like Italian garden furniture, pergolas, swimming pools etc. However many of these items, although undoubtedly aesthetically pleasing, are not always essential. The practicalities of gardening in Italy are often overlooked and as a garden designer with my base here in Italy I see these practicalities being overlooked time and time again in Italian gardens.
Take the greenhouse for example, this item opens the range of plants that can be used in an Italian garden vastly but its rarely even considered during the creation of an Italian garden. Italian plants like lemon trees, orange trees and Gardenias are the true symbols of Italian gardens, however these cannot be grown effectively if they are not over-wintered in a suitable environment.
The greenhouse offers the gardener the chance to create an authentic Italian garden by providing the ideal winter conditions for the more delicate and tender Italian garden plants. Typical, precious Italian garden plants like the Calla lily (Zantedeschia aethopica) or Solanums provide us with an almost spiritual presence in the Italian garden, however, without a suitable storage place for the winter they cannot be grown.
In the Renaissance period expensive orangeries were constructed with elaborate heating systems to maintain the correct conditions for the more delicate Mediterranean plants. In the modern world such investments are clearly impractical but there is a solution to the problem of planting the correct plants in the Italian garden space. The modern greenhouse can easily be incorporated into the overall garden design and can even become a feature in itself!
The greenhouse serves many other purposes within the Italian garden. Take for example the cultivation of all the geraniums and bedding plants needed in the Italian garden and even the early cultivation of organic vegetables for the Italian vegetable garden, which has become so popular in recent years. The greenhouse for me, having been a gardener for the past 20 years, also offers a warm yet nonetheless productive escape from the bitter winter cold. Greenhouses often become a home from home for the keen gardener and many of my uncles spent more time in their greenhouses than in their kitchens!
The greenhouse is not only an essential addition to the Italian garden but it is also a calm place for quiet contemplation where one can really feel the true essence of Italian gardening and all in a warm and safe environment. Why not consider the use of a conservatory and bring all the joys of a greenhouse even closer to the home and enjoy your lemon and orange trees for the whole winter as well as the summer?

CONTACT ECOLOGICA FOR HELP WITH MAKING AN ITALIAN OR ECOLOGICAL GARDEN