Plants.....and choice....

01/09/2010 - 10:47

Comment

Sorry, another reply to myself but, hey ho here we go... Is it me, have I not hunted around enough - or just my location.....but I am finding it really difficult to find a nursery / retailer / grower of plants, who offers a good variety af stock - reasonably priced and able to give me the information I need..... Did have to order from uk suppliers bare-root plants but would prefer to buy here. Any advice appreciated, thanks.....

Hi Dylano. Depending on where you live, City, Vilage, M.O.N, then ask your neighbours where they go for plants. Most Italians renew their stock of plant annually, and can't resist a nice looking Geranium. They should be able to point you in the right direction; but this time of year is hardly idel for plant buying, wait a while longer when your local nursery will have all varieties available.

Sorry, my post did not explain I was looking for trees, shrubs, perenials... etc.....can grow annuals no problem and buy from market 'bog standard' stuff.... Talking to friends and neighbours, seems like there is a limited choice.... Can go to garden 78...big G Ctr not too far away but even they say varieties limited....Maybe we were spoilt in England ...so much choice...maybe because more plants thrive there as conditions more conducive for more plants ????? I live in Le Marche and have worked for nurseries in the uk....

Hi Dylano-if you want to do online i recommend "Rosa Barni" in Pistoia-they have an outstanding collection of species and modern hybrid roses and theyre incredibly well priced-a sort of David Austen italian equivlaent.. in my experience the old roses do really well here, I've got 4 and theyre thriving and are by all accounts are certainly not pampered. Barni also do some perennials-I've bought clematis from them . happy gardening,shas

..if you want my recommended list of "good doers"and I'm not a million miles away from you if you're in Marche then I'm happy to share it-after 6 years of trying to make a 'garden' I've got some experience now..

Yes please Shas I would appreciate list and having seen will let you know (not on list) whats doing well here....As you say roses - once they get their roots down deep do do soooo well. Used to sell bare-root roses in the uk (old fashioned varieties and some D Austin) so miss the choice here. Do have a R Barni catalogue and will place order......Have got a couple of clematis...montana varieties doing well and would like to try some more..... Look forward to list....

ok Dylano-heres my list,sorry a bit jumbled but more or less as I remember putting the things in..you'll notice the preference for "mediterranean"style planting which I thought I'd stand the most chance of success with, but also cos I like them-incidentally theres a Mediteranean Garden Society with branches in Italy , a newsletter and visits to gardens organised annually-might be worth joining if you're there all year-they'd certainly know some good Viviaiste(?) roses and shrubs rosa moschata, rosa nasturiana, rosa de rescht, Kifstgate, Banksia Alba, Banksia Lutea (taking a bit of time to get going) buddleia, jasmine(rampant),solanum glasnevin, clematis niobe, viticella etiole violet,texensis gravyte beauty,wisteria(white one) perennials-phlomis fruiticosa,phlomis cashmriana, santolina, verbenea bonariensis, curry plants,rosemary tuscany blue and prostrate, all salvias(got a very nice Red one from a vivaia near Lucca which is doing brilliantly,sorry dont remember its name)artemesia arbuthnot and Powis castle(rampant),all kinds of lavandar, achillea cerise queen-a complete failure(surprisingly),knautia macedonia-another complete failure-nepeta six hills giant- complete failure-crambe cordifolia-complete failure,helianthemun-failure-perovskia-failure-erygium-failure- bulbs-irises good,regal lillies good, agapanthus good,allium purple sensation good theres a sort of a garden appearing out there but very unruly..shas

Your list does look good, can picture it now.....not unsimilar to here.... Have alot of flag isis's already here as people we bought house from (english) live in uk close to Kelways who I think hold national collection of peonies and flag iris's so maybe 20 varieties....Things I have planted doing very well are roses - Pauls Himilayan Musk, Malvern Hills (english climber), Veilchenblau took its time but now wanting to grow...Etoile de Holande, William Lobb, Nevada, Cardinal de Riechelieu, William Shakespeare, Mutabalis, The Fairy to name a few.. Nepeta - rampant good ground cover......Star plant is Euphorbia - a variety not as tall as Wulfenii....Bronze Fennel, Cistus, Acanthus, slow but sure..Stipa gigentea and verebena good too and as you say all the silver leafed stuff inc Teucrium and most herbs thrive...Want to try more grasses this year, have a small blue one that I've just divided that loves it here.....and also want to get some peonies in...have seen them doing well in gardens close by...Well, thats enough for now, hope I havn't bored you.. Will take a look at Mediteranean Garden Soc in a mo, thanks for that too.....Mrs Dylano.

I have this one here in UK-if I was a more expert gardener I guess I should really do a cutting or something and take it out to Toscana but wouldnt know where to start.. your rose choices are similar to my tastes-did you take them all out with you or buy in Italy? Mutabilis I thought was not quite as hardy and although I like it, dont know about risking it in the freezing winters. I too have the bronze fennel and I had a plan to make a semi formal-informal grouping which I'll admit to seeing in an italian magazine sometime ago of mounds of teucrium interspersed with the giant green fennel-it looked fabulous. Unfortunanetly my garden helper came strimming along and did for all the fennel-dont know if it will reappaear. Not tried the grasses yet because of same problem(mad strimmer)..lucky you inheriting a garden full of irises, peonies I'm slowly coming round to.. Rosa Barni are doing a pruning roses course later this month but I guess as a nusery person you probably know all that..ciao shas

Sure, it does and typically blooms when no other rose does - if put in sheltered position....will try a few more 'china' roses next year. Roses have all come from uk..dont ask me how...but do prefer bare-rooted if given choice....Am planting more climbers / ramblers now - Mme Alfred, Rambling Rector, Felicite et Perpetue, Zeph D - will let you know how well they do..... Umm Teucrium and green fennel sounds good to me too, may have to steal idea...Have planted 10 x Philadelphus to form hedge.....got bare-root in uk....planted autumn '08, spent most of last year putting roots down, will let you know how they fare..... Ohhhh men and strimmers...say no more !!!! Ax

I've seen (and smelled)Philadelphus Coronarius growing in lots of places around here but havent been able to find a vivaia who sells it-other smaller ones yes-but its the large white flowered "Virginal" I really want. Might have to fetch from UK..a philadelphus hedge-intriguing-also you must have loads of space for all those roses-Madame Alfred is a monster-I have one here too-unfortunately most of my terrain is devoted to olives so my 'garden'is a bit squashed up in one corner but we enjoy some very nice olive oil..good luck with the fennel/teucrium combo it looked spectacular in the photos, if I find it again I'll post the designer-I believe they were Italian. ciao Shas

Have 3 baby trees...think 8-10 yrs old but not seen an olive or even a flower......have been advised maybe just an age thing....too young....maybe I am too enthuiastic and as mis-shapen when I arrived (4 yrs ago) I could not resist so tweek and prune to shape, well how can I resist....any ideas / suggestions wha I should / should not do.... As for garden, no not big but a challenge....tryng raised beds for veg this year as soil needs improving so busy digging treches for kitchen waste then burying...excellent bean trenches for next yr.....also growing green manure to dig in.....so fingers crossed..... Looking forward to fennel and teucrium design info if you find....... Thanks A

I've found it difficult to get young trees and shrubs - ie. whips in Italy. The Vivai only seem to sell quite large plants. Have you tried the Corpo Forestale? They will deliver young native trees and shrubs= but they have a system by which you have to have pout in your order by a certain time of the year (Autmn, basically). I've put in my order and am awaiting the results with interest! There's a CF in Amandola, if you are in S Marche. And the road inland from Pedaso to comunanza is lined with Vivai

Thanks for that Annec, have made a note and if needing native stuff will try CF Amandola. Have just ordered some fruit trees from uk as wanted dwarfing stock, found Agroforestry Research Trust (agroforestry.co.uk) have amazing selection of plants and ship to Italy 10kg worth of plants (approx 10 fruit trees) for £28.00......Shame have sold out of most varieties now but could place order for Autumn if organised.....

Hi, there is a large nursery near a restaurant on the road to Marina di Altidona (the left-hand part of the road to Pedaso from Comunanza). I think it falls under Lapedona. I can't remember it's name but it is after a very large restaurant called I Cedri which is on the right hand side of the road. Very difficult to miss. The nursery is on the left hand side of the road no more than 2k m after the restaurant. It has lots of large greenhouses that you can wander round and plenty of shrubs. They tend to specialise in whatever is seasonal so when it's time to plant veggies, that's what they'll have a lot of and when it's geranium time, then it's full of geraniums. Alternatively there are strings of nurseries on the road to Pedaso from Comunanza (all at the Pedaso end). Some have better selections than others but you can have fun looking! Garden78 is very expensive. The next garden centre along (if you continue along that road) for about 15 minutes is good too and cheaper than Garden 78. Happy shopping.

You are a star.....always say what's wanted......Mrs D x

near the junction of the Castel di Lama turning from the Ascoli / Mare superstrada; heading towards Castel di Lama / Lidl / Citta delle Stelle; there's EcoService Garden Centre, where there's a good range of everything etc. Also on the Salaria almost at the junction Salaria / SS16 (Porto d'Ascoli) there's a mega Garden Centre on the right heading coastwards. If you decide to visit either; we will generally have the kettle on, and you're welcome to drop in