Hailed, often, as Italy's greatest landscape architect and garden designer, Paolo Pejrone somehow remains just behind the curtain on the world stage of archi-gardener stars.
Pejrone (pronounced pay-RO-neh) might not be a household name outside his own country, but he has created hundreds of gardens across the world, from France to Greece, and England to Saudi Arabia, around villas and castles, hotels and universities, banks, factories, and in piazzas and parks - there's a good chance you have been in one of his gardens, and not even realised it.
His clients and connections are countless and formidable, from the Agnelli family and Valentino to princes, presidents and Popes.
If, beyond Italy's borders, Paolo is lesser-known than some of these international jetsetters, at home he stands alone as a cultural institution in his own right. "I've been found on a lot of school desks lately," he says, with a chuckle.
His own first gardening experiences were small steps taken as a four-yearold, growing up near Turin. "I have a memory of a hot, sunny day in the large vegetable garden at Valsalice, and a small patch of land carefully assigned to me by Giovanni, the gardener," he explains. "The soil was heavy clay, dry, cracked, and my job was important, biblical even: to quench its thirst. I remember the heavy watering can and the instructions that the important thing was to be generous, but gentle.
Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Gardens Illustrated.
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Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Gardens Illustrated.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Field of Dreams - The naturalistic gem Hans Gieszen has created in former meadowlands near Utrecht in the Netherlands is the culmination of a lifelong passion
Ever since his mother gave him seeds as a small boy, gardening has been a passion for Hans Gieszen. He is completely self-taught, relying on garden visits and books for instruction, with one book in particular, Dream Plants for the Natural Garden by Henk Gerritsen and Piet Oudolf, influencing his style. “It was fascinating,” says Hans, remembering his first encounter with the book. “All those photos – pictures with mists and these tall and low plants and grasses. I realised I couldn’t do it in my small garden, but I kept dreaming and reading about it.”
WORLD OF POSSIBILITY
This superb tour of the world's botanical gardens highlights their vital role in saving the planet's flora, says Claire Masset
THE FEMININE TOUCH?
Does your garden have masculine or feminine style, and does it even matter? Head gardener Benjamin Pope unpicks gardening's gender stereotypes
'If you emulate nature, you're on to a winner'
Gardener, television presenter and author Carol Klein talks about her new book, the books she loves, her current challenges and what she's up to next
FRIENDLY ADVICE
When tasked with creating a garden for her friends, designer Neive Tierney found the project came with challenges - not least the need to include a wheelchair ramp and squeeze in a saltwater swimming pool
Passing the baton
The celebrated nursery and garden at Marchants Hardy Plants in East Sussex is now being managed by a new team, who continue to inspire visitors with innovative planting
My sweet gourd
Clark Lawrence, an American living in the heart of Italy's pumpkin province, loves growing different cultivars of pumpkins and ornamental gourds for their sweet flavours and fabulous looks
ANDY JASPER
The new CEO of the Eden Project on his excitement about a new chapter, the legacy he's left at the National Trust and his joy at heading home to Cornwall
Bedding in
In just under nine years, the owners of Arvensis Nursery in Wiltshire have created a mature garden that displays their high-quality perennials
Late summer dreams
From cool pastels and foliage to hot colours, designer Jo Thompson creates three stylish container combinations for autumn