It is hard not to be captivated by the colors of Tuscany. Most people think of Tuscan colors to be that of earth tones – and of course that famous poppy red. But spring and summer brings a wondrous colorful array of blooms, flowers and plants. Yes, nature surely shines this time of year on the Tuscan countrysides, and my good friends Turid and Jonathan share some photos of what surrounds them in their life in Tuscany. ~Richard J. Michelli

Crocus

Iris Germanica

Black Iris

Pink Dahlia

Borage

Geranium macrorrhizum

Peperoncino dolce

Wild orchid

Pierre de Ronsard

Hummingbird moth

Sage

Cow Parsley

Lambs Ear and sculptures

A walk through 3000 years of Tuscan nature

Photos by Turid Emberland / Jonathan Radford (copyright protected)

Be sure to visit their website, Toscana Hus offering a vast array of exquisite holiday homes in Italy. Based in Tuscany and offering a charming selection of holiday houses concentrated in the Siena and Florence areas of Tuscany.

by Turid Emberland -

My most frequently used words in the month of May will forever be “Look! Poppies!”

Spring starts at 5 AM, when the birds wake up and sun peeps through the apple tree outside our house. There’s nothing quite like enjoying your morning tea, sitting on the warm doorstep, watching the dog making poor attempts of capturing lizards and the shadows of butterflies. Needless to say, he fails every time.

There’s always a hum of quiet joy every time we need to drive across Tuscany to get to a garden job. We finish our morning tea and brush the dried mud from our rubber boots and lave plenty of time to meander through the countryside in a slow pace, so slow in fact that every Fiat Panda proudly overtakes us.

Spring manifests itself in many ways, and the seasons here in Tuscany are very much defined by color. The fields have turned bright green and as May moves closer to June, some of these fields will turn into a multicolored spectacle, thanks to the abundant selection of wild flowers the Val d’Orcia region in Tuscany has to offer.

Wild garlic, wild carrot and even wild orchids are only a few of the treasures that grow along side the paved and curvy roads that take you from village to village. Not to mention the poppies. Did I forget to mention the poppies? The poppy fields are famous for a reason, I can tell you that much.

As tempting as it is to pick these flowers and desperately try to make them last forever in your dark, medieval kitchen, there is one thing you quickly learn when you live with a passionate gardener and nature enthusiast; never, under any circumstance, pick wild flowers. “Who are you to pick these beautiful flowers and put them in a dark room for your own selfish enjoyment?” I see the point. But as an eager collector and flower picker, it took me some time to break this habit, but I got there eventually. In the end, who am I to pick the beautiful flowers and put them in my dark medieval kitchen for my own selfish enjoyment? I still stand without an answer.

However, there are some flowers and plants I am allowed to pick as we grow them ourselves, and these are perhaps my favorite plants of all time; the medicinal ones. The herbs you can make tea from, cook with and treat wounds with – practical plants that have been used for centuries. They smell good, and they look even better.

We live on ancient ground here in Tuscany, and growing medicinal plants comes very natural, as we are simply following the footsteps of the Camaldolesi monks that used to live here long before us. They were specialists in the art of natural medicine and the use of Mediterranean herbs and flowers. Their knowledge has been passed on through the generations, and we are eager to study and learn.

It doesn’t matter how long I’ve lived in Tuscany, I still feel an urgent need to stop the car every 5 meters to step outside and get a closer inspection of the many roadside treasures that are scattered around. I have a growing suspicion that I will remain in this state, in some sort of silent awe, constantly surprised and baffled by natures effortless ability to transform itself.  I can’t wait to see what June has in store for us this year.

Writing and photos by Turid Emberland.

Be sure to visit her website, Toscana Hus offering a vast array of exquisite holiday homes in Italy. Based in Tuscany and offering a charming selection of our holiday houses concentrated in the Siena and Florence areas of Tuscany.

A true symbol of Easter in Italian gardens, in the brightest, sunshine yellow.

The Mimosa is a medium to large sized tree in the acacia family and has long been associated with the arrival  of spring in Italian gardens and also as an official symbol of the famous ‘Festa della donna’ (International woman’s day) on March 8^th. The bright yellow, ball-shaped flowers, appearing in clusters en masse at the beginning of March, are gathered and placed in vases to symbolise the coming of spring and celebrate being female every year all over Italy.

The Mimosa tree is now native to California, south-eastern Australia and many other countries with a Mediterranean climate. It grows to around 30m tall, in its natural state, and is happiest in full sun and free-draining soil. The Mimosa’s leaves are of a typical Mediterranean blue/grey and are split into what is known as a ‘pinnate’ form, with many smaller leaflets. Unfortunately, however the acacia’s are known for being short-lived and, although being one of the longest lived of the acacias (around 30 years), Mimosa is still only a brief visitor in most gardens. The Mimosa’s brittle branches mean that it is not particularly safe, if planted over a greenhouse or conservatory and it sheds an awful lot of leaves, stems and the long untidy seed pods during the winter.

Nonetheless, the sight of a fully grown Mimosa tree in Italy at around the beginning of March, with its sea of yellow blooms is nothing short of breathtaking and is a clear sign of spring’s arrival, especially after a dull winter. Bear in mind that yellow is not a particularly easy colour to incorporate in most planting schemes but in spring, in the glorious Mediterranean sunshine and with a sea of daffodils underneath – even yellow can work in Italian gardens!

Happy Easter!

By Jonathan Radford, Italy

For a professional consultation on the creation of an Italian garden and more information-

contact Jonathan Radford at

When one imagines the typical Italian Christmas it’s hard to think of any links that Italian Christmas festivities may have with the Italian garden. Well, even in the somewhat bleak Italian winter the link between the Italian Christmas dinner table and the great outdoors is very strong indeed and is never far from Italian festivities and Christmas traditions.

From the cork that flies free of the Spumante bottle at the aperitivo di natale, the green sauce that accompanies the boiled meets to the after dinner 100 herb liqueur,  the Italians share their Christmas with nature maybe more than they think. The same spumante cork that generally hits Grandma or that lands in an unsuspecting cake mix, while chestnuts roast on the open fire,  is derived from the bark of an oak tree (Quercus suber) and has been farmed for this purpose since Etruscan times in italy. The Spumante itself, that flows more at Christmas than at other time of the year in Italy, comes from an Italian grape avec natural bubbles and is by now a classic of the Italian Christmas season.

Italy’s link with nature has formed over centuries and nature’s bounty is truly revealed during the festive season. Italian farmer’s would have once celebrated Christmas with the slaughter of pig, from which over 60 products were derived. The fat was transformed into candles and the meat into an array of sumptuous Christmas dishes, such as Cotechino or Zampone the latter making use of the succulent meat of the pig’s feet. Zamponi, although more a New Year’s dish, can be found in all the shops here in Italy from November onwards. The slaughter of the pig also calls for a great festa, whenever it takes place but Christmas always calls for extra celebrations.

Nowadays in Italy the meat is generally bought in supermarkets and the stores with their stacks of traditional Christmas food stand as a good testament to this. However, the great outdoors is never far away and Italians are proud to rejoice in the bounty they receive from their land at any time of the year and Christmas really symbolises this wonderfully.   ‘Christmas in Italy’ has now also become a major tourist attraction, with the idea of roasting chestnuts on glowing coals while swilling a velvety red wine like Amarone or Brunello appealing to many people.

Ancient Italian hamlets, monasteries and even castles set the scene for the perfect Christmas in Italy and great food and wine are the major attraction with clear, crisp days and the odd snowfall thrown in for good measure. See: http://www.palazzocervini.com/#/christmas-at-the-hermitage/4532436925

For those who can’t make it to Italy in the festive season and need to stay at home there is a novel way of bringing Italy and its festivities into their homes at Christmas time. By designing an Italian style garden around the cultivation of seasonal plants one can have an Italian garden for every season and Christmas is of no exception. If only a small area of the garden is turned over to the production of wild flower meadow a whole host of natural herbs can be gathered and used to make liqueurs. Unripe walnuts from the majestic walnut tree, so common in Italian gardens,  can be soaked in grappa to make traditional walnut liqueurs and we often catch Alessandro raiding one of the walnut trees here at the Palace for this very purpose.

Caper plants can be planted, using the traditional Italian method, by putting their seeds into a ripe fig and then squeezing them into cracks on warm, sunny walls. Capers and Parsley are the main ingredients for the famous ‘salsa-verde’ or green sauce that accompanies boiled meats at Christmas in Italy and these can both be obtained from an Italian style garden. Pomegranates can be picked from such an Italian style garden in order to adorn  the Italian Christmas table, while jostling for space with plump grapes, hazelnuts and dried figs etc at this festive time.

With a little thought we can all capture the essence of Christmas in Italy, either by being there or by simply enjoying the wonderful link that Italy and its people share with Mother nature at this time.

Merry Christmas Italia Living from Palazzo Cervini, Italy.

Silversea has long recognised that authentic luxury is often simply a scent, a texture, an image or a taste that stirs the emotions and deepens one’s enjoyment of life, so it should not be surprising that some of the luxury innovations aboard Silver Spirit are subtle, almost elusive touches.

One such amenity you’ll be pleased to learn about is a new option for guests to personalize their suite experience with a trio of scents created by renowned Italian perfumer Laura Tonatto. The fragrances are gently dispersed throughout the room by a reed diffuser placed in each suite, and of course, the service is complimentary.

Born in Turin, Laura Tonatto has a devoted following in Italy and is famous for developing scents inspired by literature. Her award-winning perfume Oltre, for example, gives a sense of the sea as being “oltre” or “beyond.” It was inspired by Plutarch’s essay, “On Contentment of the Mind.” She has also reconstructed many ancient recipes for perfumes, including Syrian Water from the 1st century BCE. Among her personal clients are the King and Queen of Sweden.

Imagine yourself walking along a sandy shore, letting the natural scent of the boundless sea free your thoughts and shape your mood.  Such a rich emotional atmosphere is captured by Laura Tonatto’s Oltre, the standard aromatherapy fragrance featured in all suites.

Feeling stressed by the pace and pressures of daily life?  Then you might opt to sample Albi, one of the alternative room scents that are also available.  With its head note of lavender, Albi could be the perfect choice for a totally relaxing experience.  Lavender has long been used in aromatherapy to ease exhaustion, irritability and even insomnia.

Or maybe the sweet scent of orange blossoms is your personal favourite.  The calming, soothing benefits of this flower are well known to aromatherapists.  Laura Tonatto chose orange blossom as the head note for her fragrance Fiori d’Arancio, available as an alternative scent for your suite.

Whether it’s Oltre, Albi or Fiori d’Arancio, these refreshing room scents are sure to make your voyage aboard Silver Spirit the ultimate sensory experience.  Just let your butler know your preference.

Laura Tonatto room scents will also be offered throughout the Silversea fleet starting in early 2010.

Visit their website for more information on Silversea Cruises.

If you can’t make a Silversea cruise, thus not having access to one of their butlers on hand…you can still endulge your senses to these scents and others by Laura Tonatto by visiting www.FashionableFragrances.com

by Jonathan Radford ~

Italy is witnessing a curious increase in the numbers of international tourists visiting the country during the fall and winter to experience the warmth of the people, eat chestnuts and porcini mushrooms or just laze around in front of a Tuscan log fire. The autumn in Italy has always provided a special experience and one that few people have even considered! Before Italian gardens finally reveal their magnificent evergreen structures in deep winter the trees spend the winters blazing out there warm hues of red, yellow and orange. Beautiful lime-green Chestnut husks begin to ripen and fall and are soon gathered up by the Italians as the excitement grows over the wonderful dishes soon to emerge from nature’s bounty.

Chestnut polenta is accompanied by delicious and fresh Porcini mushrooms in various forms, either in a sauce, roasted or fried and local game like wild boar appear on the local menus. Small villages begin to celebrate this special time of the year with ancient, symbolic grape festivals, chestnut festivals, fungi (mushroom) festivals and all conducted without the droves of summer tourists!

The autumn is the chance to witness the authentic Italian lifestyle, without the frills of spring and summer and the same can be said for visiting Italy’s gardens. The strong geometric form that holds the secrets to the beauty so enjoyed in the summer months is finally revealed from the autumn to the following spring. As the leaves fall off the trees a geometric wonderland of strong, designed form is highlighted, especially if one is lucky enough to experience a snow fall. The importance of this structure is revealed and it can finally be enjoyed and studied in this atmospheric period in Italian gardens.

Plants like Liquidambar styraciflua, various oaks and even the chestnut transform into stunning colours and then drop their leaves to reveal their structures too and can be enjoyed from a completely different perspective, often with backdrop of a stunning blue sky. Cyclamens and violets begin to illuminate the ground in the shade of tree canopies and even dahlias and michaelmas daisies still provide stunning colours in a season otherwise washed with little other flower colour.

The berries of the dog rose and blackberry bushes are collected and transformed into exquisite jams, following ancient recipes and chestnut trees are pruned and the wood stacked for, as communities prepare themselves for the testing  winter ahead.

Trees do the same by shedding their leaves at the base of the tree, perfectly covering their roots with an ideal insulator and soil conditioner. Life runs in perfect harmony in Italy during the Autumn and winter as it has for centuries but not all of us are lucky enough or wise enough to come and witness this natural spectacle – without masses of tourists!

For a professional consultation on the creation of an Italian garden and more information:

contact Jonathan Radford

Information,  History, and Facts Regarding the Use of the Cypress Tree in Italian Style Gardens

by Jonathan Radford

Few people can imagine an Italian garden, without images of tall, needle-like cypress trees springing to mind, so strong is the image of the cypress tree in Italy. The cypress tree’s name would suggest that it didn’t originate in Italy – even though its image really does symbolise Italy and everything that’s Italian about this wonderful land!

The Cypress tree’s origins are just as mysterious as it’s early uses and the folklore surrounding it! It is thought to be a native of the ancient Mesopotamia region between the Tiber and Euphrates rivers, which covered the area of modern day Iraq and Iran (once known as Persia). This area that was covered with Mediterranean forests was also the original home of the magical cypress tree. The same area, namely Persia, was also home to the ancient and equally mysterious Etruscan  civilisation that inhabited Tuscany many years before Christ. The Etruscans regarded the cypress tree  to be extremely sacred and it is widely believed that it was indeed the Etruscans that originally brought the cypress tree with them when the they began arriving in Tuscany.

The evergreen cypress tree grows to height of 20 to 25m and can survive for many thousands of years, outliving many generations of humans. The cypress tree’s longevity, the fact that it remained evergreen throughout  the harsh winters and it’s heady resinous scent  earned the plant a divine and spiritual status in  Etruscan society. The Etruscans used the plant to line the entrances to their dwellings and they seem to have planted as many cypress’ as possible near to their settlements as they believed the fresh, resinous scent purified the air. On hot days one can detect the scent of a group of cypress trees from many metres away and it’s easy to understand why the Etruscans believed the tree improved the atmosphere with its fresh scent.

The wood of the cypress tree is very long lasting owing to its thick, resinous sap, which protects the wood from insect attack. In fact, the timber also emits a strong yet pleasant scent for many years and the Etruscans used the wood of the cypress tree to create sarcophagi and also in the cremation ceremonies themselves, so special was this plant to these early people.

In the Italian garden the cypress tree offers garden designers like me a tree that provides a vertical visual statement that really no other tree can provide. The  evergreen, symbolic shape of this tree, standing s20m tall, appears to stretch skywards rather like the steeple of church and one could be forgiven for perceiving strong, spiritual connotations regarding the shape of this tree alone. Standing in the middle of a group of fully grown cypress trees and looking at the sky is most definitely a spiritual experience, as a strong link can be felt between the land on which one stands and abyss of the blue sky above.

Garden designers in Italy still use the cypress tree to line entrance driveways and create evergreen structure around the house and their presence clearly evokes strong symbolic sentiments. I find them indispensible for framing the stunning views that can be seen from many Italian gardens or as visual indications to guide the eye around my garden designs. The use of the cypress tree in Italian garden design is fundamental, however, care should be taken to not exaggerate the use of this immensely special, symbolic yet very subtle tree in Italian style gardens.

~ For a professional consultation on the creation of an Italian garden and more information, contact Jonathan Radford: