Time to Finish the Garden

In the spring of 2023, the garden layout was in place, the electrical and irrigation had been laid and the two new terrace areas were complete. Prior to the grass being planted, we need to install the landscape lighting and all of the new fruit trees. I really want a statue of some type so I am on the hunt.

In April our focus was on getting the new plants in the ground and the lighting installed. Adriano’s crew showed up with a truckload of plants and spent the day getting everything planted and ready to grow. Border hedges, strawberries for the retaining wall, aloe vera for the top of the retaining wall, 3 olive trees, 2 fig trees, an apricot and a plum tree, as well as lavender plants to border off each of the terraces. Adriano also surprised me with a rose garden by the firepit terrace and two orange trees, one on each side of the front door.

There’s a funny story about the orange trees. In the Fall of 2022 when we were planning out the new landscaping and hardscaping, I asked Adriano to fill in the two square openings on each side of the front door. He looked at the spaces and said “No!, Arancia!!” I was very confused…how can you plant orange trees in the ground and not a lemon tree??? But Adriano was insistent. I was concerned they would get too big and block the windows, but again, Adriano insisted. This won’t be the last time Adriano gets to tell me “No!”

As much as it pains me to admit it, Adriano was totally right. The trees are beautiful, flower and smell amazing in the spring, and are bountiful with fruit. I found a book that has tought me how to keep them small and not get too big.

By the way, when I left at the end of October 2025, the trees were full of HUGE oranges that would be ripe by early December.

The landscape lighting is perfect! (Now)

I noticed when it was getting installed that the firepit area had the taller lights but that was wrong. These were intended for the walkway from the front door to the gate. I tried to explain but the electrician didn’t understand, so I messaged Federica. Within minutes, she and Nazzareno were on the phone, he was arguing and pacing around, then Adriano arrived and showed him where the taller lights were intended. He was not happy but that’s on him, he installed them wrong.

What’s really nice is the lights come with a key fob so I can easily turn them on from anywhere in the house and choose which zone of lights I want on, if not all. I love to turn them on if I am going out or if company is coming over. They neighbors love them.

On April 26th, 2023 I headed out to Castiglione del Lago for market day and then I wanted to visit the garden shop I learned about that has an amazing array of succulents and cacti. Despite asking Adriano to plant a prickly pear, he refused. I will write a separate post on this, as it’s quite entertaining.

Castiglione is about 25 minutes from my house and a pleasant drive. About 3/4 of the way there, I noticed a ‘store’ on my left that has an outdoor area filled with old metal furniture, giant planters and statues. Note to self…Stop here on the way back home.

I wandered around the outdoor area, enjoying the wonders of everything, inspecting the various statues and planters. It wasn’t until I made my 3rd left turn in the rocky grounds that I saw her. Acquilaria! (That’s not her official name but I can never remember it, as it’s something similar, so this is her name now). I found the shop owner to let him know I wanted to buy her, we went inside and he gave me a discount for paying cash. She was a Score for only 150 euros. He grabbed his dolly, strapped her on and wheeled her over to my Fiat 500 XL. He placed cardboard around the passenger seat and hoisted her inside. I buckled her seatbelt and we were on our way.

Here’s where this gets funny. Acquilaria was SO heavy that there was no way I could wrangle her out of the car by myself so I drove around with her as a passenger for 3 days. Then Adriano and crew arrived to work on the garden and Adriano opened the car door, hoisted her out and carried her over to the side of the house with one arm. Again, why I call him Thor!

I was so pleased with myself that I declared Statua, but Adriano replied with No! Fontana. I said no, statua and he emphatically said No! Fontana. He then motioned over one of the workers to hold her while he tipped her on edge, felt underneath her, and then blew into her water jug. Dirt and debries flew out from underneath. He turned to me, smiled and said Fontana!!!

Near the end of the garden work that day, Adriano hoisted Acquilaria under one arm and carrierd her over to the upper terrace area outside of the kitchen. He placed her in a few spots before settling on her final resting place. All I changed was the direction she was facing, I wanted to be able to see her while cooking in the kitchen.

When I arrived back in Italy in late August, he had surprised me by creating a pond surrounded by an ivy-like plant and making her the glorious fountain that she is today.

OK, time for garden pics…Here is the evolution from May 2023 through 2024.

The tree on the right of the path died so we cut it down. Again, as a surprise, Daniel, Adriano’s brother was an artist with his chainsaw and left me wtih a beautiful tiered stump and planted a vining rose next to the stump.

And with plant maturity over time, the jasmine we planted in 2023 along the fence to create a screen from the road is now a beautiful, thick plant that looks and smells amazing in the spring.