La Mortella Gardens, Isola d'Ischia

[Paddy Tobin]

La Mortella was a garden I had wished to visit for many years and I had the opportunity to do so this summer.

La Mortella is situated on Isola d’Ischia in the Bay of Naples. The garden was started in 1951 by Sir William and Lady Susana Walton and has been continued since his death by Lady Susana who has exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Russell Page advised on the design of the garden initially and his influence can be seen in the formal central axis of the main garden. The garden is in three parts: the Valley Garden, the Tropical Houses and the Upper Garden. The garden was made within a disused quarry; the lower part, the Valley Garden is now well furnished with mature trees which are underplanted with an amazing range of plants, the Tropical House is home to Victoria amazonica, a truly amazing plant while the upper areas continue to be developed; already there is the final resting place of Sir William, the open air theatre, the crocodile cascade, Thai Tea House a very odd-looking blue glass ‘pond’ among others.

Temperatures while we were there were 35 celcius and above each day and such temperatures along with low precipitation makes the lush and full growth of La Mortella all the more astonishing. Obviously much watering was done in the garden and we saw several of the gardeners hosing beds.

I will post photographs which show views of the garden at first and later - if I haven't been told to give you a rest by then - I will post some photographs of the many attractive plants in the garden. The first photographs are from the Valley Garden, mainly showing the main axis along a rill running from one pond and waterfall to another.

[Paddy Tobin]

At the end of the main axis is a large pool, planted with the most divine lotus flowers, papyrus and other beauties.

[Paddy Tobin]

The Tropical Plant House which is home, among others, to the Victoria amazonica. Outside the Tropical House is a very quiet and restful patio area with another pond.

That's all for tonight - more tomorrow.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

This is very pleasant, Paddy, especially since it is raining, again, here. I don't want my water lilies to think I am ungrateful, but , with the exotic water lilies Gerd showed us from Westfalen the other day and now these lotus flowers, I am thinking how lovely it would be to have these in the pond here !

[Gerdk]

Thank for these pics, especially for those of the Lotus flowers.
Gerd

[ranunculus]

Beautiful images Paddy...Beautiful.

[Brian Ellis]

Excellent thread Paddy, I had always wanted to visit too.  Can't wait for tomorrows instalment.  Thanks

[ian mcenery]

Great Paddy keep it up (or should I say snowdrop)

[Lesley Cox]

I have a painting of the Bay of Naples, mid to late 19th century, by one S. Petruolo. I don't know anything about it except that it's beautiful. Vesusius is smoking in the background behind the tree. I wonder where La Mortella is, in relation to my picture?

[David Nicholson]

Lesley, Salvatore Petruolo 1857-1946. If it's an original and not a print I'd get it valued if I was you, there could be quite a few plants worth there!

[SueG]

Brilliant pictures of a stunning garden, thanks for posting them Paddy.
Sue

[Hans J]

Hi Paddy ,

Thank you for this nice pictures !
Today in the afternoon was a 30 minutet report about this garden - it is really fantastic .
They show also some talkings with Lady Susanna -  a impressiv Lady - she is born in Argentina .
If I ever visit this area - this is a must !

Greetings
Hans

[Paddy Tobin]

Lesley,

I have looked at a map of the area to get an idea of where the artist sat to paint the picture. Have a look at the map; I reckon he was on the headland out from Naples as he is obviously looking from north to south - the sea is to the right in the picture and he is almost across from Vesuvius (climbed/walked to the top while we were there). From his position and referring to the picture the island of Ischia is off to the right of where the artist is sitting.

Hans,

I would have enjoyed that programme I imagine. I have seen her interviewed previously in connection with the Chelsea Flower Show.


Gerd,

The lotus plants were simply scrumptious. I'll post photographs of plants later.


Many thanks to all for kind comments. You will have gathered by now that the Valley Garden at La Mortella is practically a jungle. The formality of the central axis is all but lost in the lushness of the planting and by the growth of the trees which with 50 growing are now quite big.

I shall continue with general scenes of the garden, moving up from the Valley Garden on a steep climb up the quarry side to areas which were later developed and on to some quite new areas also. Hope you enjoy them.

I have shown only the outside of the Temple of the Sun. The inside might be considered too risque for the forum as the walls were decorated with scenes which some might call artistic and others pornographic. Best not to tempt fate.

Maps for Lesley first - hope these display OK. I took them from Encarta website.

Paddy

[Paddy Tobin]

Just a few more I had with that group of photographs above showing the Crocodile Cascade which is to the side of a pond where the perimeter is planted with agapanthus.

Paddy

[Paddy Tobin]

Further up in the garden, and the views were spectacular here, there was the open-air theatre, a Thai Tea House and an unusual blue glass pond with two very interesting inhabitants.

And so ends the garden tour. I shall prepare some shots of the plants in the garden, some very unusual for us as there are many tender plants which we  couldn't manage in the open air in our gardens at home. Many will be known to us as house plants, many begonias, for example.

Before finishing I must apologies to Lesley, Maggi and other admirers of fine food. There was a nice restaurant in the gardens, more a cafe really, but the location was on the side of the quarry wall overlooking the lower garden and was a lovely place to take a rest and try out the local wines. Nice cakes too.

Paddy