My 3 Favourite Gardens

In honour of Mother’s Day on Sunday, I’d like to revisit three of my favourite gardens in France and Italy. These are special gardens filled with colourful flowers but they also have elements that make them unique: musical fountains at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild; Chinese white peacocks on Isola Bella; and spectacular scenery at the Gardens of Augustus.

1.  Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, Cap Ferrat

The estate of the Baroness Ephrussi de Rothschild overlooks the Mediterranean Sea from a breathtaking location on France's Côte d'Azur. There are nine different gardens including Spanish, Japanese and French themes. An aquatic show every 20 minutes features fountains spurting in time to classical music.

Musical Fountains at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Villefranche Harbour

Seating in the French Garden

2.  Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore

Beautiful Isola Bella is an island in northern Italy. This summer home of the the Borromeo family of Milan includes a lovely baroque palace and an extensive garden where Chinese white peacocks roam. There are numerous vantage points from which to view Lake Maggiore.

Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore

Teatro Massimo

Chinese White Peacock

3.  Augustus Gardens, Capri

The rugged island of Capri sits off the west coast of Italy. Lush bougainvillea blossoms  compete with spectacular views of the Faraglioni Rocks and a switchback pathway leading down the hillside to Marina Piccolo.

Augustus Gardens, Capri

Via Krupp

Water Lily

If you’d like to see more of these three special gardens, links to the full posts are listed below.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Related Posts:

Gardens of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

Isola Bella, the Beautiful Island

Gardens of Augustus, Capri