THE ITALIAN GARDEN, JONATHAN RADFORD

Vegetable gardens in Italian gardens

The vegetable garden often conjures images of scruffy areas of wasteland under freeway bridges or near railway tracks, or maybe an area of a garden that nobody else really wants- a sort of "No-mans' land" between garden and rubbish-tip. Well, here in Italy the vegetable garden has a far more important and social role in the community. Italian wives need vegetables, lots of vegetables to create wonderful dishes straight from the garden, whereas Italian men need space, lots of space from their rather intense, Catholic wives. This combination of social comets, both flying in totally different directions, coupled together with a few Wars, Papal rules and a social revolution here and there means that Italians now ... GROW THEIR OWN- and really rather well!!

As a garden designer I have to study social requirements, coupled with social changes, with regards to horticulture and provide a service that’s as ‘in tune’ with its environment as with its place in time. I believe that the need for organic vegetables in our modern society has to be addressed. We insist on organic vegetables and by using intelligent garden design we can supply our dining tables with vegetables all year round, simply by basing our garden designs around the formal Italian vegetable garden.

Many materials can be used to divide the soil of the vegetable border from falling onto the pathways and highlight any formality in the design.