Every two years the pretty village of Buggiano Castello asks many of its residents to open up their garden gates to the general public. Buggiano Castello lies between Pescia and Monticatini and it sits on it’s own little hilltop with excellent views of the plain of the Val di Nievole that runs between Lucca and Pistoia. This valley plain with it’s many streams and rivers that feed into the Arno, provides the wet marshland that is ideal for the growing of a wide of range of plants, trees and flowers that makes this area famous worldwide.
Buggiano with it’s lovely south facing aspect but with sheltered lanes and banks has developed a stunning garden culture that the residents can be proud of.
The gardens are open for two Sundays in May and there were 17 gardens in all to explore, each with their own speciality. One garden was called the tortoise garden, and sure enough among the many planted borders were families of these creatures. The ‘tartuge’ of many sizes were munching lettuces peacefully and apparently undisturbed by the many shoes tramping around their world. Another garden specialised in printing famous poems about plants and gardens among the very species they were describing. Best of all many of the hosts offered wine, soft drinks and juices, with little titbits of food and sweets along the way.
Well, they certainly chose a good time of the year to have such a festival with so many plants in their full spring splendour. If you are coming to visit us in May 2013 book this in diary as a must see event.
Best wishes from Malcolm and Darren at Casa Verde.