Goodbye pansies, hello geraniums

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

The pansies on the bridge in front of my apartment at Ponte a Serraglio this year have put on a fabulous show. We have had little rain or wind since they were planted and they have thrived.

They were still looking great, but they won’t last through the summer and it is now time to plant the geraniums.

This year I have had help to plant the flowers on the bridge. It has been great. There are lots of pots and dragging the bags of soil, carrying the plants and digging up the old ones takes time, so having 2 helpers made a big difference. Thank you Paul and Sheila.

Paul also cleaned out and replanted the large pots beside Villa Fiori. (Somebody pinched one of the lavender plants almost immediately, which is a bit disappointing).

We are now thinking of buying some new hanging pots for the lampposts along the river and planting more geraniums. There is a reasonable amount of expense involved in this, so if anyone would like to contribute it would be appreciated. Please email me at debrakolkka@gmail.com if you are interested in helping out.

Bluebells

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

I came upon this abandoned garden where bluebells have taken over…lovely. They can take over my garden any time they like.

Wonderful wisteria

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

I love it when wisteria appears in spring. It seems to bloom overnight and there are fabulous festoons of lovely lilac flowers hanging from fences and walls all over Bagni di Lucca right now.

…and the smell is heavenly.

Yellow flowers

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Debra Kolkka

Forsythia is appearing all over the place in Bagni di Lucca. Surprisingly, these plants belong to the olive family.

They are deciduous shrubs growing to a height of 1 – 3 metres. The flowers are produced in the early spring before the leaves. The flowers become pendant in rainy weather to protect the reproductive parts. Here they have performed just as they should.

The genus is named after William Forsyth, a Scottish botanist who was royal head gardener and a founding member of the Royal Horticultural Society.

These lovely yellow flowers are a sure sign of spring.

Poppies everywhere

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

Gorgeous red poppies are popping up everywhere right now…straggly ones beside the road, masses of them in fields… they look wonderful with their papery petals on furry stalks blowing in the wind.

What a pity the season is so short.

It is wisteria time

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

I love wisteria! It blooms for such a short time, but it always looks wonderful and the smell is divine.

I have a plant on my balcony and this year it has produced a couple of flowers.

It’s growing!

Here is some we prepared earlier.

The bees love it……and so do I.

My plant has about 4 flowers on it and soon they will be beautiful.

Early signs of spring in Bagni di Lucca

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

The weather is warming up and the days are getting longer. Spring is getting ready to show its lovely face in Bagni di Lucca.

These pretty crocuses were growing beside the road, I almost stepped on them.

Snowdrops growing on the rock wall on the way to La Villa.

Tiny violets are appearing.

These terraces are covered with crocuses.

My daffodils are growing.

It won’t be long now and the trees will turn green before our eyes.

Seasons

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

One of the things I like most about living in Bagni di Lucca is the change of seasons. I love the starkness of winter with the occasional promise of snow.