Tuscany Garden Guide Parks in the Tuscany

The classic Tuscan garden is a combination of the Italian landscape and English formality. Tuscan villas were often surrounded by vineyards or farms which transformed themselves gracefully into gardens at the foot of the villa itself. Tuscans, with their inherently artistic sensibilities and attachments to their surroundings, created gardens that fit seamlessly into their landscapes.

The rolling hills of Tuscany create the possibility of gardens with stunning views of olive orchards and grape fields. Around the 14th Century, wealthy Italians began to carefully construct their gardens and homes so that they blended in with the shapes and colors of the land around them. English and other foreign settlers brought combined their more formal designs with the Italian style to create what we now know as the Tuscan garden. Tulips, grapes, sunflowers and vines are classic ingredients in the Tuscan garden. Stone walls and manicured topiary mingle surprisingly well with the wily vines of the Mediterranean.

One salient feature of the Tuscan garden is the statues. Statues, fountains and terracotta pots are what give Tuscan gardens their quaint Italian feeling. When creating your own Tuscan-style garden at home, be sure to include a cupid fountain, Venus de Milo or Grecian-urn style planters. People often litter their Tuscan gardens with shards of old pottery and terracotta in order to give it the feeling of a 2,000 year-old civilization.

Flagstone pathways and wrought iron benches are also characteristic of the Tuscan garden and will create a peaceful and rustic place for you to sit and enjoy or wander and meditate. Well-groomed flower beds accessible by narrow paths will give your garden an intricate and maze-like feel; encouraging visitors to 'discover' each unique corner of your beautiful garden. Stone walls, ideally covered with vines, will give your Tuscan garden an air of authenticity and secrecy and keep you peacefully sheltered from the modern world.

Tuscan garden tours are a popular vacation theme for green-thumbs around the world. The gardens of Chianti are especially well-known. The Chianti gardens include Villa Greggiano. More than 400 years old, this luxurious estate boasts one of the best cared for and elaborate gardens in Tuscany. The driveway is lined by 100-year-old Cypress trees and the garden itself sits atop a hillside overlooking seemingly endless fields of grape vines. Atop the hillside sits a terraced fish pond, potted lemon trees and a complete Italian vegetable garden.

Organized Chianti garden tours usually involve a villa stay and 2-3 days of organized tours, with a visit to 1-3 gardens daily. While in scenic, unspoiled Chianti, walk the hillsides and explore the ruins of abandoned castles. Call in on local vineyards to sample and buy some of the world's best Chianti at some of the world's best prices. Chianti is one of many options for viewing Tuscan gardens, as these beautiful and unique gardens exist all over this nearly perfect piece of Italian country.