Garden Travel Food and Wine

Springtime Travel: Wisteria Bedecked Gardens

Lavish displays of Wisteria are one of the joys of Springtime garden sojourns.

Iford Manor draped in Wisteria: Peto Garden Photo © Alice Joyce

The magnificent architecture and historic landscape of the Harold Peto garden at Iford Manor is literally draped in the cascading, fragrant blooms in May.

Iford Garden Wisteria and Fountain Photo © Alice Joyce

Link to an earlier post, where I reveled in the artistic landscape of Iford Manor: The Harold Peto Garden

Hestercombe Wisteria Archway Photo © Alice Joyce

The historical importance of the gardens and the landscape architecture of Hestercombe must surely be on the bucket list of anyone who appreciates the exceptional Arts & Crafts style. At Hestercombe you’ll marvel at the teamwork of doyenne Gertrude Jekyll and master architecture, Edwin Lutyens.

Kensington Roof Gardens Wisteria Photo © Alice Joyce

A fabulous spot in London: After a delectable meal at Sir Richard Branson’s

Babylon restaurant… be sure to stroll the intimate roof gardens.

Monks House Wisteria Photo © Alice Joyce

My pilgrimage to Bloomsbury author, Virginia Woolf’s Monk’s House is among my most memorable garden visits in the English countryside. Read more about this beautiful National Trust property that sparkles in Springtime…

Hidden Gardens of Spain: Book Review

2011 Paperback Edition : Published by Frances Lincoln Ltd

Hidden Gardens of Spain by Eduardo Mencos

When I’m not galivanting about, I pursue armchair travel with an unwavering zeal. There’s much of Spain I’ve yet to see. Yet now, after spending evenings curled up in my favorite wing chair with a new paperback edition of Hidden Gardens of Spain, I’ve had the opportunity to accompany author Eduardo Mencos to each “little Eden” he visits, sharing each “enchanted moment” chronicled in alluring photographs and beautifully rendered descriptions.

Mencos moves from private estates in southern Galicia, to the highest city in Central Spain – Avila, to the sun-drenched south and Coastal environment, to the Canary Islands. In each garden vignette, a site’s unique character is revealed, its design influences, and stunning sense of place: Mencos shows readers the work of great designers such as Fernando Carruncho; landscapes that reflect an owner’s style resulting in what appears to be a moonscape; and the planted surroundings created by Heidi Gildemeister, known for her expertise in Mediterranean gardening.

Sharing the thoughts and inspirations of the owners, Mencos peppers his finely woven prose with the musings and observations of an insightful guide. His lively writing melds with the sumptuous photography to capture a garden’s essential elements, within the framework of an overview of location and historical details.

In lieu of a real-life tour with Mencos, I’ll return again and again to the book’s fascinating settings representing varied stylistic points of view: Be it drawing on Spain’s Hispano-Arabic tradition; looking toward Italy or England; or contemporary spaces like the author’s home, representing a landscape where art, organic forms in an ordered layout, and nature rise up in harmony.

Mediterranean Gardening on Amazon

Villa Lante: Touring Italian Gardens

Villa Lante Pegasus Photo © Alice Joyce

The elements of a Renaissance garden come together in a poetic harmony at Villa Lante, northeast of Rome in the village of Bagnaia. A trove of books can open one’s eyes to the art of… Italian Gardens .. Amazon

River Gods Fountain Photo © Alice Joyce

Often quoted author of Italian Villas and Their Gardens, the novelist Edith Wharton found the setting to be a magical place when she visited in 1903. The survival of these gardens is commendable, as so many of the period have now vanished. Attributed to the great Mannerist architect, Vignola, Villa Lante began as the dream of Cardinal Gambara in the 16th century. The conversion of a hunting preserve became the glorious landscaped grounds we see today. Cardinal Peretti-Montalto tales credit for the creation of the central Fountain of the Moors.

Italian gardens are dense with greenery and Villa Lante is no exception. Italian cypress trees and hedges provide shade, while the living plant material provides visual delights in the form of boxwood sculpted into elaborately patterned parterres.

Taking full advantage of the steep site, the gardens are set into a series of terraces carved into the hillside, where stonework staircases lead visitors to discover surprisingly sensual water features, sculptures, and grottoes. Distant views, too, are an integral part of the garden’s geometrical arrangement, built upon a longitudinal axis.

A side note: On this journey, I used a wonderful car service for two major segments of the journey. Barbara Galli, my English-speaking contact provided advice, dependable drivers and extremely comfortable vehicles. Here’s a link to the web site in case you’re looking for a driver, transfers or touring in Italy: Roma Transfer

Water feature representing an elongated crayfish or gambaro, exalting Cardinal Gambara.

Countless scholars and garden historians have mused that Villa Lante embodies the ideal of perfection associated with the guiding design principles of the Renaissance, in its symmetry and overall proportions.

Although it may not be possible to sip a glass of wine at the Cardinal’s Table [below] when visiting Villa Lante, you’ll be transported to another era if you allow your imagination to take hold.

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Springtime Travel: Wisteria Bedecked Gardens

Hidden Gardens of Spain: Book Review

Villa Lante: Touring Italian Gardens

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