I visited a rose garden in June.
It is a very young garden created by the experienced Italian landscape designer, agronomist and musician Camilla Zanarotti near Vicenza. A family country retreat perfect for weekends, not far from town but nestled in the Colli Berici, peaceful green hills covered with vineyards.
Seven years ago, when she and her husband bought the property, an overgrown and dilapidated garden surrounded the ancient watchtower and adjoining house. After clearing it, retaining walls and terraces were built to create flat surfaces fit for cultivation in the steep slopes, and soil and manure were added, wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow, on the surfacing rocks. A rich and elegant garden took shape with fresh energy and rhythm.
Gravelled paths connect different areas alternating flat and steep surfaces, shade and sun, green and colour. She is an enthusiastic lover of roses and vegetables have a special place in the garden. The flourishing vegetable garden is conveniently located near the house, handy for the kitchen and for new experiments in the organic cultivation of vegetables, herbs and flowers. A passion and experience that Camilla tells in a newly published book, co-written with Simonetta Chiarugi, with an inspiring title, 'Più orto che giardino. Come coltivare verdure felici e fiori gentili', (More Vegetable Garden than Garden. How to cultivate Happy Vegetables and Gentle Flowers).
Boxwood hedges and clumps of peonies divide the vegetable garden from a pergola made of chestnut poles and guarded by two ancient stone lions. And, here comes the roses: cream, apricot, pink, rich clusters of flowers in pastel shades and sweet scents for well-known climbers, such as rose Delacroix, and unknown shoots, whose origins are now forgotten.
Behind the pergola, grasses create a uniform background broken by late summer flowers. A path disappears into the quiet wood where a rustic pavilion opens onto an emerald ribbon of grass flanked by boxwood hedges. Not far, countless shrubs of roses, planted with perennials and bulbs, stretch along a low stone wall. Oleanders, philadelphus and hydrangeas will give further interest when the first explosion of roses is over. Each walk around the garden reveals new details, inviting to get closer, to look longer at the bubbling masses of roses and at the perfection of the single flowers.
By the entrance of the house, a terrace overlooking the valley is surrounded by low boxwood hedges and planted with a platoon of young slender Robinias aligned in two parallel rows. Their intertwining branches create a green roof that helps to cool the air in these lovely summer evenings, the perfect time to look at the stars thinking of the roses.
Thank you Camilla for the inspiring visit to your garden and for your answers. And special thanks to Antonella Coccetti who organised this trip.
TravelinaGarden: What inspired you in creating the garden?
Camilla Zanarotti: First of all, I 'listened' to the place, in the sense that I wanted that what I was gradually creating and the plants I was planting, not only could fit the stringent climatic and environmental requirements per se, but also were in tune with the surrounding places, with the 'natural environment'. So, I forced myself to work cautiously, on 'tiptoe'.
Coming from the city, I needed a magical place, entering where I could feel a sense of peace and harmony, and that would greet me with a green hug.
To create a garden a 'collection of plants' is not enough. Especially at the beginning, I worked to create spaces and environments: the big lawn 'pratone' was cut out among the trees of the wood, creating paths on the hill flanks allowed us to build stone retaining walls where it was possible to have enough soil to make the borders. I conceived a grass garden towards the road because it was a rocky area, paths in the wood were studied to create walks. Starting from these interventions, plants have been planted little by little.
TravelinaGarden: Which are the problems of a weekend garden?
CZ: If you are well organised, weekend is enough for the maintenance of the garden. Luckily, I love working in the garden and I have no problem for this to be a fixed and all-encompassing commitment. Usually on Saturdays, I have a person who helps me especially for the more strenuous jobs, such as digging holes to plant, as we have to make them with the pickaxe or the construction wrecker.
The most delicate flower beds and the vegetable garden have an irrigation system. In case of prolonged drought, I water by hand the other zones according to the need, because I have little water available.
Despite having used plants fit for the climate and created a low-maintenance garden, I love to have it in order, so most of the time is spent to clean withered plants from dried flowers, weed, prune and/or clean shrubs, etc.
TravelinaGarden: Working with the most natural products possible and considering the problems of a calcareous, rocky and droughty soil, how do you attend to the maintenance of the garden, roses in particular? and what do you do in case of pests or weeds?
CZ: Choosing plants that fit climate and location is fundamental for the health of the garden. This helps, but, of course, it is not enough. Pathogen attacks do happen .. The box tree moth has been the most formidable enemy, but, luckily, from a couple of years, I've been keeping it under control with just one treatment of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki as soon as I see the presence of larvae in the leaves (usually around early April). Roses are devoured by Oxythyrea funesta and the best fight is to collect them by hand early in the morning and destroy them. I have no particular problems with aphids because I have so many ladybugs and other insects that keep the roses clean. With regard to fungal diseases, sometimes, I make copper-based treatments after the rains, but some ill leaves do not bother me ..
To keep them healthy and vigorous, I abound with mature cow manure and compost laid at the base in autumn. All the flower beds and shrubs all year round are mulched with a shredded chestnut mulch that I find in the surrounding area. It keeps the soil moist and protected, and even weeds are harder to grow and easier to remove.
TravelinaGarden: How did your passion for roses start? What criteria do you use for their choice? and for associations with other plants?
CZ: This is a passion born by chance. I realized that, perhaps, I was becoming an addicted after I exceeded a hundred, and I couldn't find room for the new ones ... now I have around 170 varieties, and, of course, I have no more room!!
The criterion is always the classic 'thunderbolt' ... "I can not live without you"!! I prefer soft colors, white, pink and mauve, and single or semi-double flowers. But, I'm also really appreciating those with extremely rich petals, peony-like flowers, and even in brighter colors compared to my standards, up to some cardinal red.
Their companions are necessarily plants that have to adapt to a basically droughty place, and, thus Allium sp., Oriental Papaver somniferum and, Iris (I have almost a collection), Erysimum Bowles mauve, Verbena bonariensis, Echinacea purpurea, aster varieties, Geranium Rozanne, Orion and Karmina, Perovskia atriplicifolia, Gaura, etc. .. And the ubiquitous carnations by Federico Billo (and Melissa).
TravelinaGarden: Hybrids of Italian roses are little known. Could you tell us something about their history and their characteristics? Which would you recommend?
CZ: I am lucky to have a friend like Davide Dalla Libera. He is a young Italian breeder who, despite his young age, has already created some very interesting roses. His nursery is called Novaspina. He often exhibits his creatures to the most important exhibitions winning prestigious awards. As well as beauty, his philosophy also takes into account our warm climate, and the need for roses to stand it while many of the 'Nordic' roses do not bear it (Austin, Lantau, Kordes, etc.).
His rose 'Rosalba Carriera' is opulent, 'Caterina Cornaro' has enchanting small pink cupped flowers. This is a rose to put in the foreground, perhaps over a low wall, to be admired as an illumination. 'La Tintoretta' in bloom seems whipped cream and 'Moscalbò' is a small vine covered with bouquets of white flowers, always in bloom ..
TravelinaGarden: What are your projects for the garden in the near future?
CZ: A garden is never finished, you plant, move, sow ... now that the backbone has been built, I'm working more in detail ... But, basically, my garden is passion and friendship. It was not born 'to be shown'.
Most of the plants are grown from seeds or cuttings resulting from exchanges among friends, and these are the plants that I love most! Sharing this passion with so many friends is the most beautiful thing! We chat about gardens, comment combinations, share discoveries .. All this gives me great joy and rewards me for all the hard work!!
