It is time to go home to Australia and leave my garden at Casa Debbio behind. We have done a lot of work to create a new garden on the terrace below the house. Things are growing (too slowly for me) and it is beginning to take shape.
This is what we started with. The photo was taken in late winter. The trees were cut back last year because the chestnut trees had a weird growth in the leaves and the hazelnut had a big crack in the main trunk. The lavender and rosemary were also cut back.

This is what it looks like now.

I spring there were wild daisies all over the place.

We have planted another 4 rows of lavender, 1 row on either side of the path below the house and 2 more on the side of the hill. After a slow start they are growing and I know they will put on a good show next year.

As well as lavender we have peonies, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, lilac, fruticans, roses, azaleas, wisteria, lilac and several other lovely things. The lavender is spectacular this year. The flowers aren’t open yet, but there are double the number of flowers we had last year.

 

The fruit trees flowered and small fruit is appearing on some. We have quince, apples, pears, peaches, plums, pomegranates, figs and persimmons. There will be lots of figs this year. We won’t have cherries because the old trees were pruned heavily, but there will be lots of raspberries.

 

We are building a frame for the wisteria beside the house to grow on. I can see lovely wisteria flowers hanging from there next year.
I saw a gorgeous moon from our terrace. At night the house is surrounded by fireflies turning our garden into fairyland.

I awoke last week to a spectacular rainbow.

The other day I climbed up the terraces above the house for a birds’ eye view of Casa Debbio.




Best of all, the first peony I planted grew 21 buds and most turned into spectacular flowers. I am hoping all 35 peony plants will produce next year.
 


I will be leaving my garden in Filippo’s capable hands. I can’t wait to see it in September when I return. I will have a huge crop of lavender to pick this year…and lots of plants to prune.
Casa Debbio is still available for a few weeks this summer, so if you would like to spend time in a very beautiful part of Italy and experience an authentic Italian mountain village email me at debrakolkka@gmail.com.