modern italian gardens

a contemporary view of italian gardens

(the gardens shown here were not created by ecologica, except from the last large photographt!)
Italian gardens have stunned the world for centuries with their symmetry, elegance and combination of symmetry, form and for their sense of scale. The Classic style of Italian gardens that we are familiar with was developed during the Renaissance and has stunned the world ever since. In modern times however, the contemporary Italian garden has begun displaying a somewhat confusing disregard for their Renaissance origins.
Although these classic geometric gardens clearly stand as a symbol of the harsh oppression from the upper classes, one would think that some of the wonderful lessons learnt during the creation of such symmetrical beauty would have been continued through to modern Italian garden design. Instead, there appears to be a desire to disregard the origins of Italian garden design by modern Italian garden designers. I am an English garden designer, based in Italy and I chose to live here nearly 15 years ago. Clearly I am aware that I don't really have the right to go judging the modern garden design style of a country that I am not native to.
However, I can't help feeling that some modern Italian garden designers tend to totally ignore the origins of Italian garden design and the almost instinctive sense of shape and form that those classical Italian gardens displayed. Although we do clearly live in an age of fusion design where inspiration can be drawn from all across the board and from every corner of the globe I find that there is a modern Italian garden style that leaves a lot to be desired.
The use of kitsch colour schemes, plastic, coloured glass and other man made materials take me in a completely different direction to the age of ecological awareness in which I now find myself. I personally see a need to return to the origins of gardening, where the secrets of nature and natural materials should be admired, utilised and respected just as much as the farmers and craftsman who often provide our only link with those natural secrets.
Italy's relationship with the land has always been a strong one, particularly during the war years, when the severe lack of food supplies forced the Italians to grow their own food. This hardship gave rise to the wonderful cuisine that we now consider to be one of the most delicious and healthiest in the world. In the days when pasta was a poor mans dish and old, stale bread was transformed into refreshing dishes like Panzanella the gardens in Italy were full of vegetables, pigs and chickens. Treasures like Porcini mushrooms, Truffles and various herbs were gathered from local woods, meadowland and hedgerows etc and were transformed into mushroom risottos, wild leaf salads and even healing tea infusions. I feel that the future for garden design in Europe, and especially that of Italy , can be found deep in its past!
We are slowly discovering that there really is nothing more modern than the past. Therefore I feel that by making Italian gardens that honour tradition, provide fresh vegetables yet, which are laid down upon a Renaissance garden structure, we can honour and represent a huge part of Italys complicated history through the contemporary Italian garden. Renaissance symmetry that provides elegance and style, informal wild flower areas that provide harmony, salad leaves, medicine and much more. Organic vegetable gardens that stock the Italian kitchen with aromatic herbs, fresh Italian vegetables and an inexpensive visual delight (when combined with flowering plants) can become the star of the show. All this and more is possible if we try to understand what a true Italian garden really is, before trying to design one!