TMG n. 81 - July 2015

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Alevin

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TMG n. 81 - July 2015
« on: July 28, 2015, 03:06:19 PM »
Most of you must have read by now the n.81 issue of TMG, where an article about La Mortella, written by Maurizio Usai, was published. Now, many of you have already met on Facebook the wondrous and eclectic Maurizio (and if you have not, check his page la pietra rossa and specially have a look at the photographs). I just wanted to acknowledge his due to Filippo Marroccoli, the author of the two sketches, that did not come very clear on the printed paper, but are really lovely in real life. Filippo is a garden designer, plantsman, watercolor sketcher, an artist in his soul, who gardens in a very unpromising soil in Altamura, south of Italy, where he developed - all on his own- a whole range of watersaving and design principles that  exactly mirror the mission of the Mediterranean Garden Society. The story goes, that when he moved into this place he had in mind a very standard kind of garden, but then he found out that the yard next to his farm-house was made by a layer  of crushed stone that had been covered in asphalt and concrete at some point: it had looked green, when he bought he property, only because weeds were growing in the cracks, but there was no soil whatsoever. And there was very little water available, too. So he had to try a different approach to gardening, and while he was removing the asphalt - a back breaking work- he also studied the landscape around his place, and  started to roam the mountains and fields in the neighborhood to collect native plants. So he slowly built  a lovely, waterwise garden, that was soon to be followed by a very specialized nursery. His website is this: http://www.filippomarroccoli.it/, have a look a the catalog to realize what I am talking about! if you scroll down the pages there is an English version too. I hope to convince him to come to the AGM in October and meet members and tell his stories, he has so much to share!
Alessandra - Garden Director- Giardini La Mortella, Ischia, zone 9-10

Umbrian

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Re: TMG n. 81 - July 2015
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2015, 04:12:21 PM »
Thanks for this fascinating post Alevin - must learn more about him.
MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.

David Dickinson

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Re: TMG n. 81 - July 2015
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2015, 12:07:59 AM »
Thanks Alevin. Looks interesting. I just had a look at the catalogue and noticed a phlomis which is not the one that I usually see in the parks and nurseries around here.  Phlomis bourgaei not fruticosa. This jogged my memory to go and check some phlomis cuttings that I took a couple of weeks ago and to send some photos to the forum for their identification.

I have a small garden in Rome, Italy. Some open soil, some concrete, some paved. Temperatures in winter occasionally down to 0°C. Summer temperatures up to 40°C in the shade. There are never watering restrictions but, of course, there is little natural water for much of June, July and August.