My year at Casa Debbio, our Tuscan mountain house, began in February. It was cold and wet. Winter seemed to drag on this year and spring was reluctant to show its face.
On the up side, winter does make for some spectacular views from Vergemoli, the gorgeous village which is the home of Casa Debbio.
This is Vergemoli from our house.
Casa Debbio looked forlorn without its lovely garden.
When spring finally began things seemed to turn green and bloom over night.
The Frassino or Flowering Ash trees put on a spectacular show this spring. The mountain sides were dotted with white for a few weeks.
We had reasonable rain this year, unlike 2017 which brought drought conditions.
Our garden thrived. We did lose a couple of trees. The lovely old fig tree was lost in a storm.
And the magnolia in front of the house was snapped off and blown away in strong winds.
We planted grass in front of the house, finally getting rid of the grey stones I disliked intensely. The down side is we no longer have an effective alarm. The grass allows visitors to approach silently.
Our wisteria has grown well and might cover the pergola in 2019.
We grew so many peonies this year I picked bunches of them to give to friends. We have 65 plants and some of them have doubled in size since I planted them.
Geraniums thrived this year and loved their new big pots we put behind the barbecue.
I had to leave all this loveliness behind in June to return to Australia. A delightful French family rented the house in summer and loved it.
When I returned in autumn the garden was still looking beautiful.
How lovely it is to sit and watch the seasons change at Casa Debbio.
My last job before leaving in November was to cut the lavender. This is from just a couple of plants. We have around 350 lavender plants now. They grow well in our garden.
I will be back soon to encourage the garden again in 2019.
We would love to share our beautiful Tuscan mountain house next year. Send me an email at debrakolkka@gmail.com if you are interested and please share this post with anyone who might like to enjoy the peace and solitude of a Tuscan mountain holiday in 2019. Tuscany is more than Chianti. Our glorious mountains are dotted with hundreds of authentic villages waiting to be explored.
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By: Teguh Mustakim on December 29, 2018
at 9:44 pm
I love this post and the photos, Debra. You certainly have a green thumb and have made Casa Debbio so beautiful. I hope I can visit sometime again.
By: Margie Miklas on December 29, 2018
at 9:45 pm
We hope to see you again soon.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 29, 2018
at 9:49 pm
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On Dec 30, 2018 1:39 AM, “Bagni di Lucca and Beyond” wrote:
Debra Kolkka posted: “My year at Casa Debbio, our Tuscan mountain house, began in February. It was cold and wet. Winter seemed to drag on this year and spring was reluctant to show its face. On the up side, winter does make for some spectacular views from Vergemoli, the go”
By: hafezbet on December 29, 2018
at 9:50 pm
Such wonderful photos of a wonderful place. How fortunate we were to visit.
By: Christine & Douglas Collins on December 29, 2018
at 10:30 pm
It was great to have you at Casa Debbio. I am very keen to be back there to get stuck into the garden again.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 29, 2018
at 11:12 pm
So beautiful, Debra. Gorgeous views and colourful plants. You’ve done a great job. 👏🏻😍
By: anotherday2paradise on December 29, 2018
at 11:48 pm
It has been 5 years work to create the garden. We are very happy with the progress.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 30, 2018
at 4:25 am
Simply gorgeous! I wonder have you ever considered a book showcasing Casa Debbio and its Gardens?
By: Irene Hay on December 30, 2018
at 12:36 am
That is a definite possibility.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 30, 2018
at 4:26 am
It just looks so beautiful once the Spring/Summer arrives. Winter plays it’s part for all the European plants.
Really fascinating to watch the transformation… Jx
By: Jan Williams on December 30, 2018
at 1:52 am
I quite like the winter landscape, but I love watching spring unfold.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 30, 2018
at 4:26 am
Hi deb It looks totally AMAzing from where you’ve come from. A lot of hard work but so worth it. Hope all is good with you. Kendall
Sent from Kendall on a very effective small device that never rests…
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By: Kenallan on December 30, 2018
at 2:30 am
There is a huge difference from where we started. It gets better every year.
By: Debra Kolkka on December 31, 2018
at 11:53 pm
It is wonderful to see what you have achieved with a garden that was not easy. Congratulations!
By: Mulino Dominillo on December 30, 2018
at 10:30 am
We are happy with our garden and look forward to another year of improvement.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 1, 2019
at 1:03 am
What a paradise .. such a wonderful achievement.
By: Lorraine Wagner on December 30, 2018
at 10:55 am
I love to get up early in the morning and walk along the paths to see what is growing.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 1, 2019
at 1:04 am
Spectacular Deb. Best wishes for 2019
By: Wendy Bradford on December 30, 2018
at 7:42 pm
I hope you have a wonderful 2019. Perhaps we will see you in Italy one day soon
By: Debra Kolkka on January 1, 2019
at 1:05 am
Your wonderful home has such a different feel as each season passes. I’m sure whoever stays there this year will throughly enjoy their visit…I know I would if I was there. It would had to leave your beautiful garden to go off visiting other parts of Tuscany. Wishing you all the best in this new year.
By: Karen on January 2, 2019
at 7:59 pm
I love every season at Casa Debbio, but spring is my favourite. I love to see things begin to grow. It is exciting to see how our plants come to life each year. It is difficult to leave the garden especially when the peonies are in bloom.
Have a wonderful 2019.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 2, 2019
at 9:19 pm
Such pretty flowers-are there purple freesias? I love the scent of freesias. I really want to visit Italy this year!
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on January 5, 2019
at 2:09 am
I planted freesia bulbs in autumn. I hope they come up this spring. I love them too.
By: Debra Kolkka on January 5, 2019
at 2:47 am
Happy New Year Debra! Another beautiful year!
By: thirdeyemom on January 7, 2019
at 11:11 pm
So utterly perfect.
By: Jan on January 29, 2019
at 11:42 pm