There are many components to the grand scheme of the gardens at La Foce. They were composed by Cecil Pinsent as partly French formal gardens, partly English border and bed style, and part staying close to the original wildness of the site.

I’ll leave it to you, my sophisticated reader, to distinguish from the photos which part you are looking at.

All the parts are marvelous in their own way.

Did you see the dandelion in the picture above? Not even La Foce is perfect! But, it’s close!

In the next few photos you can tell we are walking through a tunnel covered by a wooden arbor that has wisteria growing over it. You can see the wisteria buds. But the thing you really want to notice is the iconic zig-zag road that is on the opposite side of the valley below, where the cypress trees follow along. What a view!

You cannot beat the vista!

Then, looking in the opposite direction, we encounter the wilder, more English garden. Pinsent left the hillside as he found it, and planted it with fruit trees and an occasional bulb. In the foreground is the true English style garden with beds with curbs, planted with peonies and roses and a few bulbs.

There’s more to come in Part 3. See you later! Alla prossima!