Roses, Lavender, Wisteria, Rosemary, Cherry, Anemones, ...

These roses are from a garden nearby…a treasure of love by a good friend.

 It is a special place with an olive grove, tall cypress trees, a cherry tree that you can stand under and eat the fruit. We also have a pear tree, a pomegranite and the house is surrounded by tall pine trees.

Umbria is known as “The Green Heart of Italy” because it is just that…lush green. It is also the only province that does not touch water or another country. It is surrounded by only other Italian regions.
What makes this all possible? There is an aquifer under almost 40% of Umbria. If the roots can reach water, they will continue to grow.

There are three wisteria vines around our house. One is at the kitchen, where underneath you can have breakfast while gazing across the valley. The second is 650 sq.ft. and it is only one plant believed to be more than a 150 years old. It is immense and it is a soft pink that give the most delicious fragrance as you walk beneath it.

This is where lunch is served. Seating for 8.

Or lunch by the pool under another wisteria.

Or lunch in the courtyard around a tall, white flowered magnolia.

When we were looking for a home in Umbria, one of the first criteria was that it would have trees around it. Because, if we had to plant them, they would not grow up in our lifetime. I believe there is a proverb that says, “when a man plants a tree, another man will sit under its shade”.

While you are driving around Italy look at the tops of hills. If you see a semi organised collection of old trees, very old trees, there is probably a stately villa in their midst.