Last Saturday was a perfect day to enjoy Lucca’s Verdemura garden festival. It’s now in its twelfth year and is bigger and better than ever before. I was glad I went on that day as Sunday had rather somewhat dull and drizzly weather.
The hippie axiom ‘make love not war’ is singularly appropriate when dealing with Verdemura as the show is laid on the top of Lucca’s classic defensive walls, now over five hundred years old. Where there were cannons there is, instead, an encampment full of flowers and colour.
Lucca’s walls are the second major example in Europe of walls built according to the principles of modern fortification, taking firepower into consideration, that have been preserved completely intact in a city. They are two and a half miles long and took from 1504 to 1648 to build. There are eleven bastions or bulwarks. (The walls of Nicosia, Cyprus, hold the record with a length of three miles, also with eleven bulwarks).
The walls were designed as a deterrent and were never taken in anger. They did prove useful, however, when the Serchio flooded and their new ruler, Elisa Bonaparte had to be hoisted over them from a boat. Even today, after heavy rainfall the area encircling the walls tends to be flooded and a temporary moat is created.
The garden festival is centered around the Porta Santa Maria and extends to two bulwarks, Santa Croce and San Donato.
Here is a selection of photos I took of this year’s brilliant show. Were you there?
What a lovely event this Verde Mura and Murabilia is a twice yearly show. This one coincides or rather is a week prior to the adorable Chelsea Flower Show always everyone’s favourite especially the last day when plants etc are sold off at knock down prices and it is quite fun and amusing to see ginormous plant take a walk about as their proud owners transfer them to their homes. Always both shows have so much to see and offer. Ensure you have comfortable shoes as it can get very trying both on the feet and stamina. There is also a show combined in the ticket at the nearby Giardino Botanico always lots to see and learn there too. Do not forget to visit below the mura or walls as often there are other stalls there as well as shows of experimental gardens or planting techniques. It sure is quite tricky and challenging nowadays with this crazy unpredictable weather as to what to plant and when. Perhaps best let Nature tell us what to do and let gardens run a little wild and then address your gardens or plants at more stable suitable weather conditions if such be the case in question! Lately I am quite astonished at what actually is happening in the garden bluebells white and blue suddenly appear as daffodils wane also white wild anaemonies, colourful primulas, muscari and tulips now abound. But sadly next years crocus are no more as the bulbs have been gobbled up by the naughty trio of squirrels I have just noticed my three year old avocado plant seed has also gone the same way! Potatoes can be planted throughout the year also salads spinach bietola etc it is nice to have a little something to cook or eat raw from ones own efforts.
Thanks for your detailed comment ful l of interesting points