By Alexandria DiPerri
not taken by me
On the east coast of Sicily, Italy is a beautiful place called Taormina. Within Taormina is one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen. Pictured above is the owner of the garden, Florence Travelyan a woman who gained an interest in the creation of what is known as “pleasure gardens”. The garden explained here is called Hallington Siculo which is now known as Villa Comunale; public garden.
Florence’s Garden History
The beautiful Hallington Siculo garden is a beautifully organized with a horticultural arrangement. Florence planted native species in which interspersed with other exotic and tropical ones. She also had beautiful structures including this Victorian Folet (pictured on left). This garden was created in memory of all the times she gardened with her mother.
Dragon Tree
According to our tour guide of the garden, this Dragon Tree was imported from North Africa in what used to be a private British garden. Dragon trees are very common indoor plants but can also be outdoor. They have medium water needs, only need a lot of sunlight if left indoors, and can help purify the air as well as being super easy to grow. Sometimes the leaves can brown which hints that the air might be too dry, putting the plant next to other houseplants, in the bathroom or even with some pebbles and water can help.
Drunken Tree
This Drunken Tree was imported from Argentina and comes from other places in South America. This tree gets its name from its very visibly swollen trunk. It is swollen due to its natural ability to store water. Younger trees have thick and sharp horns covering the bark and hang from the branches. As summer approaches pink flowers bloom.
Coral Tree
This Coral Tree came from South America and is a part of the Legume family. Coral trees are outdoor plants and can range from 35 to 65 feet tall. They need very little water as too much can cause weakness and breakage. Overwatering can cause the tree to be too soft causing the tree to pull itself out of the soil come dry season. Pruning the tree in the spring can help prevent the limb loss. These trees are of great quality and can be sometimes used to make surfboards!
Silky Oak
These Silky Oaks were brought here from Australia. These trees can live up to 100 years old! It used to be native to Australia but now grows everywhere. It is very adaptable and can survive through both drought and frost. It is fast growing and a popular choice amongst gardeners because of its straight trunk; this helps avoid the spread of growth. Its shallow roots grow towards water so be careful not to plant close to buildings or pipes!
(All pictures taken by Alexandria DiPerri except the first one)