Autumn Garden Planning

So in the midst of the searing heat what better way to relax than plan a little Autumn gardening.  Whilst our days are currently spent mowing and watering and keeping gardens in good shape, evenings are overflowing with lists of flowering bulbs, winter veg, maintenance jobs and reorganisation of beds and borders.  This year I am planning a formal vegetable garden using raised beds and classic decorative formations.  I am studying Gertrude Jeckyll's gardens and will be taking a trip to Castle Drogo in September for more inspiration.  So I encourage all of those planning a garden in Tuscany to well ahead towards Spring 2014 and start ordering spring bulbs and seeds.  There are some great mail order companies such as Franchi or check out the RHS website or the Mediterranean Garden Society for research material. 

Why not create an online scrapbook of ideas on Pinterest too which is great fun and start compiling a monthly check list of garden jobs to do this autumn.

Tuscan Gardens, In love with aliums x

This spring has simply whizzed by even though the weather has been somewhat confused.  For gardeners here in Tuscany the season is horribly late and we have only had one week of real heat since the winter months.  However, things are now really taking off.  Olives are still being cut, grass lawns are being mowed under control and the weeds are seriously taking hold of the flower beds.  We are spending much time up trees and on our knees which gives us time to think about new ideas for gardens and planting schemes.

Today I ate a delicious alpine strawberry fresh with dew at 6am whilst looking around the garden - fantastic, then I and picked a large bowl of sugar snap peas which we are growing up an ugly dividing fence, a great way of making use of it.  So in all corners the gardens are busy.

The courtyard garden is being developed to give a mix and match effect of English Cottage Garden and Tuscan Farmhouse, we are growing on borage and comfrey, hollyhocks, peonies, jasmines, wysterias, roses and herbs, a jumble of colours, textures and scents.  The vegetable garden is messy but productive and we have in many rare and interesting types of aubergines, just for fun and for our clients.  Also round courgettes, long courgettes verigated and yellow zuchinni, we hope to use the kitchen garden a an example of permaculture gardening once established.

On the drawing boards are plans for a Monastic Garden based around classic elements such as kitchen, herb and medicinal beds.  Also a hot red border featuring lots of texture and mexican grasses.  On love of ours is the trusty alium, whether ornamental, edible or simply architectural, these plants work in flower beds, veg gardens, borders, wild flower meadows and in pots for balconies and terraces.  Here are a few of our favourites, enjoy...