{"id":39261,"date":"2024-08-14T15:14:49","date_gmt":"2024-08-14T13:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/c5abf254-c11b-4ff8-835a-0f728b689991"},"modified":"2024-08-14T16:31:25","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T14:31:25","slug":"take-a-first-look-at-a-breathtaking-new-garden-in-italy-designed-by-an-award-winning-design-duo","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/rss_feed\/take-a-first-look-at-a-breathtaking-new-garden-in-italy-designed-by-an-award-winning-design-duo\/","title":{"rendered":"Take a first look at a breathtaking new garden in Italy designed by an award-winning design duo"},"content":{"rendered":"

This breathtaking garden in southern Italy designed by Urquhart & Hunt features a series of terraces linked with interesting combinations and colour mixes of drought-tolerant plants. Words: Annie Gatti, Photographs: Jason Ingram <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 14 August 2024 at 13:14 PM<\/p>

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The approach to Giardini Pistola is along a winding drive, through vineyards, in the unspoilt valley of Canale di Pirro in the Puglia region of southern Italy, with a backdrop of gentle hills covered in downy oak woodlands, where wild boar roam free. These terraced gardens, designed by Urquhart & Hunt<\/a>, were carved out of a sloping meadow four years ago, and are an exciting experiment in planting that combines Mediterranean<\/a> and English garden styles.<\/p>

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Designers Lulu Urquhart and Adam Hunt \u2212 best known for winning Best in Show at RHS Chelsea in 2022<\/a> for the beaver-inspired A Rewilding Britain Landscape \u2212 were invited by owner Constant Tedder to create the garden below the restored farmhouse and connected trulli (Puglia\u2019s distinctive cone-shaped stone huts). The top section of the 8m slope had already been landscaped as three interconnecting terraces, while the rest was still an expanse of bare soil. <\/p>
The design ensures that the visitor\u2019s journey up and across the terraces is one of discovery.<\/p><\/blockquote>
\u201cThere\u2019s a magic to the landscape here, a permanence, a history, with field after field of ancient olive trees, some over a thousand years old,\u201d explains Adam. \u201cThe owner wanted to create something absolutely beautiful that provided a series of different experiences across six terraces.\u201d <\/p>
Traditional trulli stone huts, skilfully renovated as holiday rentals, provide the backdrop to the top terrace. The borders offer a gentle screen between the private and public realm with taller plantings of Stipa gigantea and Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea \u2018Black Arrows\u2019 underplanted with deep reds and burgundy of Oenothera lindheimeri Gaudi Red (= \u2018Florgaured\u2019), Lobelia tupa, Thymus Coccineus Group, Teucrium marum and Origanum vulgare \u2018Zorba Red\u2019. \u00a9Jason Ingram<\/figcaption><\/figure>
It was intended to make it an open garden for the public to visit, and as well as a space for functions, the wishlist included an amphitheatre, a child-friendly<\/a> water feature, a maze, pergolas with edible and ornamental climbers, and elements of discovery. While Adam started to conceive the masterplan, the planting design team (Valerie Bond, Petra Ulrik and Lulu) researched possible plants for Pistola\u2019s challenging temperature range of between -10\u00b0C and 40\u00b0C, and its recent increases in springtime rainfall.<\/p>
We wanted people to meander and on occasions be surprised about where they came out; to take time to experience the landscape of this special place.<\/p><\/blockquote>
With feedback from local nurseries and inspiration from French nurseryman Olivier Filippi\u2019s drought<\/a>-tolerant catalogue, they drew up a list of plants that should survive with no irrigation once established. \u201cWe found it hard to judge the exact hardiness when it comes to heat and frost, and no irrigation,\u201d says Lulu. \u201cThe hardiness charts often don\u2019t reveal that.\u201d<\/p>
$\"Grass$
The Grasses Terrace features this matrix of three grasses: the biscuit-toned Calamagrostis x acutiflora \u2018Karl Foerster\u2019, providing a vertical accent; the fine, textured, green foliage of Miscanthus sinensis \u2018Gracillimus\u2019; and the buff haze of statuesque giant feather grass Stipa gigantea.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The greatest challenge, however, was using only plants that are not affected by or host to the Xylella fastidiosa<\/em> pathogen that has already devastated olive plantations in parts of southern Italy. Banned plants include other star players of Italian gardens such as lavender and oleander. \u201cThis is where our passion for ecological balance and future-proofing gave precedence to our design,\u201d explains Lulu. \u201cEvery plant we selected would not be a host to Xylella.\u201d<\/p>
$\"Italian$
A 64m-long rill, constructed from local limestone, forms the Canale, the formal heart of the garden. Mirror beds on either side ripple with plantings of mauve-flowered Salvia abrotanoides, creeping thyme Thymus serpyllum and yet-to-bloom Calamintha nepeta. The mastic trees (Pistacia lentiscus) are intended to create a sense of presence once they are mature. \u00a9Jason Ingram<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Finally they drew up a very detailed planting plan and handed it over to the gardening team at Giardini Pistola. Covid restrictions at the time meant that the designers could not travel to oversee the planting, but with project manager Ollie Stroud and a skilled team of Italian landscapers on the ground, the resultswere beyond their expectations, and in June 2021, the garden opened to the public.<\/p>
There\u2019s a magic to the landscape here, a permanence, a history, with field after field of ancient olive trees, some over a thousand years old. <\/p><\/blockquote>
A wander up the garden from the bottom of the terraces reveals the fascinating mix of plants that made the final list. In the majority of the terraces, which are all 80m x 22m, the planting palette comprises between five and 13 species that are used in simple, repeated combinations to soften the linear nature of the garden.<\/p>
$\"Italian$
The organically shaped beds in the Naturalistic Terrace create winding paths that invite visitors to immerse themselves in the layered planting that spills around key trees, such as x Chitalpa tashkentensis Summer Bells (= \u2018Minsum\u2019), that link visually with the woodland in the hills beyond. Mounds of drought-tolerant perennials, including santolinas and Pseudodictamnus, combine with grasses that reach a crescendo of bleached tones in late summer. \u00a9Jason Ingram<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The design also ensures that the visitor\u2019s journey up and across the terraces is one of discovery. \u201cWe wanted people to meander and on occasions be surprised about where they came out; to take time to experience the landscape of this special place,\u201d explains Adam. <\/p>
Crushed limestone paths provide a network of different ways to navigate the terraces and the interlinking slopes. The same white stone, luminescent in the southern Italian light, has been used to pave the steps and build the walls.<\/p>
The first level is conceived as a Play Terrace, with a maze of clipped Italian buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus<\/em> \u2018John Edwards\u2019) and an in-ground trampoline. Banks of planting are used to create the level changes between each terrace. \u201cThe bank plantings have their own identity,\u201d explains Lulu, \u201cwith reference plants from the planting choices of the terraces above and below.\u201d This helps to blendthe transitions between the terraces and gives cohesion to the whole scheme.<\/p>
$\"Steel$
Two mild-steel pergolas, planted with a succession of climbers such as bottle gourds, kiwis and Rosa banksiae var. banksiae create verticality in the Tunnels Terrace and provide linear routes through the space. They are softened with Rosa Crystal Fairy (= \u2018Spekren\u2019), Rosa The Fairy Tale Rose (= \u2018Poulcas065\u2019) and red-flowered Glandularia peruviana, which spill across the paths. \u00a9Jason Ingram<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The bank between the Play Terrace and the Naturalistic Terrace above it, for example, combines white-flowered Mediterranean gum cistus (Cistus ladanifer<\/em>) with white gaura Oenothera lindheimeri<\/em> and statuesque Leonotis leonurus<\/em> with its zingy orange blooms, with the cistus repeated in a simpler planting with Erigeron karvinskianus in the next terrace up. <\/p>
This level, which features a series of organically shaped beds, is a celebration of form and texture. Exotic-looking trees such as x Chitalpa tashkentensis <\/em>Summer Bells (= \u2018Minsum\u2019) and foxglove tree (Paulownia tomentosa<\/em>) emerge from mounds of grey-green and silver-foliaged plants, such as Artemisia abrotanum<\/em>, Pseudodictamnus hirsutus<\/em> and Santolina pinnata subsp. neapolitana<\/em> \u2018Sulphurea\u2019, many sourced from Olivier Filippi\u2019s nursery.<\/p>
$\"grass$
The grass amphitheatre, used for events including star-gazing, is planted with Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon). Known as gramigna in Italy, this is a perennial grass with underground rhizomes that enable it to survive drought conditions. The banks echo the shape of the gentle hillscapes that frame this beautiful valley bowl. \u00a9 Jason Ingram<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Next, the winding paths give way to the formality of the Canale. On this terrace, an elegant central rill made from local Rici limestone is shallow enough for children to play in safely. Set along an east\/west axis, the water provides stunning reflections from the sky. The lines of mastic trees (Pistacia lentiscus<\/em>) in the linear borders either side are underplanted with a romantic mix of English roses in peachy shades, alongside whites, blues and purples from pale Agapanthus<\/em> \u2018Nana Blue\u2019, Russian sage, Geranium x cantabrigiense<\/em> \u2018Biokovo\u2019 and G. sanguineum<\/em> \u2018Album\u2019. Plumes of golden grass Stipa gigantea<\/em> in the bank leading up to the next terrace anticipate this plant\u2019s dominant role on the upper terraces where, as summer progresses, it arches ever higher, providing playful vertical accents.<\/p>
The Tunnels Terrace features a pair of mild steel pergolas that support various climbers<\/a>, including roses <\/a>and edibles such as bottle gourds and kiwis. In contrast to the straight paths through the pergolas, the routes through the central beds wind and turn, providing a jungle-like experience, especially in late summer when the matrix of grasses rises to a crescendo of green, gold and bronze. Above this lies an open space shaded by plane trees, where large-scale events are held, and at the top of the garden, planting in the Grasses Terrace provides a bold screen in shades of red and gold between the public garden and the holiday accommodation above.<\/p>
On the west side of the terraced garden is the grass amphitheatre planted with drought-tolerant <\/a>Cynodon dactylon<\/em>, while on the east side a romantic mount offers an elevated view across the whole garden, revealing myriad pathways that ensure that visitors can explore every corner of this exuberant garden.<\/p>
In brief<\/h2>
Name<\/strong> Giardini Pistola.What<\/strong> A public garden consisting of six interconnectingterraces, grass amphitheatre and viewing mount.Where<\/strong> Puglia, Italy.Size<\/strong> Roughly ten acres.Soil<\/strong> Fertile mix of sand, limestone and red volcanic soil.Climate<\/strong> Mediterranean, with winter temperaturesdropping to -10\u00b0C with occasional snow. Lowsummer rainfall, with temperatures reaching 40\u00b0C.Hardiness<\/strong> zone USDA 10.<\/p>
Urquhart & Hunt\u2019s top 12 dry garden plants for the area<\/strong><\/p>
Artemisia abrotanum <\/em><\/h3>
$\"Artemisia$
Artemisia abrotanum<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This Mediterranean native is a useful grey-green, textured vertical whose leaves burst with southernwood aromas, though it rarely produces its light-green flowers in the UK. Height and spread: 60cm x 60cm. RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b\u2020.<\/p>
Pseudodictamnus mediterraneus <\/em><\/h3>
$\"Pseudodictamnus$
Pseudodictamnus mediterraneus<\/figcaption><\/figure>
A robust, drought-tolerant evergreen that forms pretty, woolly mounds. Tiny, pink-purple, tubular flowers emerge in summer along the stem. Prefers poor, well-drained soil in full sun. 70cm x 80cm. AGM*. RHS H4, USDA 8b-10a.<\/p>
Bulbine frutescens<\/em> <\/h3>
$\"Bulbine$
Bulbine frutescens<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This South African succulent, with its spikes of star-shaped flowers, is used to inject joyful tones of yellow across the garden alongside orange from the selection Bulbine frutescens \u2018Hallmark\u2019. The clumps of narrow leaves provide excellent groundcover. In the UK, grow in well-drained, sandy loam in full sun and keep dry in winter. 50cm x 1.5m. RHS H3, USDA 9a-11.<\/p>
Teucrium marum <\/em><\/h3>
$\"Teucrium$
Teucrium marum<\/figcaption><\/figure>
A compact, wiry, evergreen subshrub, with grey-green aromatic leaves that have downy undersides. It is covered in tiny pink flowers on short spikes in late summer and autumn. Grow in full sun and cut back after flowering to maintain its shape. 40cm x 40cm. RHS H3.<\/p>
Vitex agnus-castus <\/em><\/h3>
$\"Vitex$
Vitex agnus-castus<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This deciduous Mediterranean native has an open habit with aromatic, lance-shaped leaves and panicles of violet flowers in autumn. Grow against a warm wall in full sun, and in well-drained soil. 1.5m x 1.5m. RHS H4, USDA 6a-9b.<\/p>
Coleonema pulchellum <\/em><\/h3>
$\"Coleonema$
Coleonema pulchellum<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This South African evergreen shrub bears fresh-green, needle-like leaves and small, star-shaped, pink flowers with reflexed petals from late spring to summer. It has an upright shape and prefers full sun. 60cm x 60cm. RHS H3.<\/p>
x Chitalpa tashkentensis<\/em> Summer Bells (= \u2018Minsum\u2019) <\/h3>
$\"x$
x Chitalpa tashkentensis Summer Bells (= \u2018Minsum\u2019)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
A hybrid of Catalpa and Chilopsis, this small deciduous tree has willow-like leaves and is covered with exotic, frilly pink flowers in summer. In the UK, it is best planted in a sheltered spot in full sun on well-drained soil. 4-8m x 2.5-4m. RHS H4.<\/p>
Agapanthus<\/em> Twister (= \u2018Ambic001\u2019) <\/h3>
$\"Agapanthus$
Agapanthus Twister (= \u2018Ambic001\u2019)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This unusual form of African lily opens from white buds to produce clusters of white trumpets, tinged with dark-blue at the base. It stands well in summer heat, flowering throughout July and August in the UK, where it needs protection from winter frost. 60cm x 40cm. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 8a-10b. <\/p>
Phyla nodiflora <\/em><\/h3>
$\"Phyla$
Phyla nodiflora<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This pretty, mat-forming perennial, covered in purple-centred flowers with white petals through spring and summer, makes excellent groundcover. A density of three plants per square metre at Pistola creates a lush, drought-tolerant lawn replacement. 15cm x 20cm. RHS H4.<\/p>
Cistus ladanifer <\/em><\/h3>
$\"Cistus$
Cistus ladanifer<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This aromatic, evergreen gum cistus has distinctive maroon blotches at the base of the white petals and bright-yellow stamens. It grows well in poor, well-drained soil,in a sheltered site in full sun. 1-1.5m x 1.5m. RHS H5.<\/p>
Pennisetum alopecuroides<\/em> \u2018Hameln\u2019 <\/h3>
$\"Pennisetum$
Pennisetum alopecuroides \u2018Hameln\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This fountain grass forms a compact mound of narrow leaves and long-lasting sprays of fuzzy, pinkish flowers that fade to buff. It is planted en masse across the bank leading from the Tunnels Terrace to the open space for functions at Pistola. It is underplanted with species bulbs of Iris \u2018Harmony\u2019, Iris \u2018Alida\u2019 and Tulipa humilis var. pulchella Albocaerulea Oculata Group for spring interest. 60cm x 60cm. AGM. RHS H3, USDA 5a-9b. <\/p>
Santolina pinnata subsp. neapolitana<\/em> \u2018Sulphurea\u2019 <\/h3>
$\"Santolina$
Santolina pinnata subsp. neapolitana \u2018Sulphurea\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Pale-yellow, button flowerheads cover this evergreen dwarf shrub from midsummer onwards. More compact than its cousins, it shows less tendency of flopping over from the weight of the blossoms. Its silver foliage plays well in a border of silvery-blue hues. 75cm x 75cm. AGM. RHS H5.<\/p>
USEFUL INFORMATION<\/p>
Address<\/strong> Giardini Pistola, Strada Provinciale 1, Canale di Pirro, 72015 Fasano, BR Italy. Tel<\/strong> +39 (0)327 109 2505. Web<\/strong> giardinipistola.com<\/a> For more information about Urquhart & Hunt\u2019s work, go to urquharthunt.com<\/a><\/p>
<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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