2007-08
TUSCAN HILLTOP VILLAGE
This semi-abandoned Tuscan village occupies
a dramatic hilltop setting, overlooking the stark
lunar landscape of the Val d'Orcia to the west and
the lush green forests of Monte Amiata to the south.
The houses of the village are being restored and transformed into exclusive holiday accommodation.
Creating a garden here presents a number
of challenges.
The village's altitude – 850m above sea level –
and exposure to the winds that sweep up from
the surrounding valleys impose natural restrictions
on the species that can be planted.
As the process of depopulation progressed,
the vegetation of the place adapted itself, with spontaneous plants invading what were once
neat orchards and carefully-tended vegetable plots: maintaining this charming blend of the cultivated-
for-use and the lushly spontaneous is vital if the
village's identity is to be safeguarded.
Complications with water supply meant that planting in the upper section
of the garden had to be adjusted: an expanse of hardy lavander took the
place of part of the lawn. With the whole redevelopment project in flux,
it was decided to limit work to this first stage of the garden. Plans to
recreate the orchard which had formerly existed on the upper section
were put on hold, as were changes in ground level in the lower section.