I am now back in Australia for a couple of months, leaving our garden at Casa Debbio in the capable hands of Filippo.
The new growth each spring still amazes me. When I arrived in February, winter was almost over and there were signs of new beginnings. Once things start to turn green it all happens very quickly.
The garden has really come on this year. Our first lavender is now 5 years old, the second planting is 4 years old and the lower terrace is in its 3 summer.
The first 2 photos were taken 2 years ago. The difference this summer is amazing.
We have also planted another 100 lavender along the sides of the road up to the house. They are still quite small, but they are growing well.
The new pergola has been put to good use and we have had many lunches on the terrace.
Wisteria and roses are growing over the 2 pergolas. I am hoping they will be covered by next summer.
The last of my peonies flowered just before we left. There were 50 dark crimson blooms on one and 30 white flowers on the one beside it.
The hydrangeas were beginning to flower. The oak leaf hydrangea is fabulous and the 5 plants I have seem to be thriving.
Aquilegias do very well at Casa Debbio. They are great little plants and flower for quite a while.
The weather this spring was glorious. I rained for months last year, but this year was dry. We had warm weather early, but then cold days returned. We had the promise of cherries, but the cool weather changed that. The blossoms came, then little cherries , but they didn’t come to much. The tree looks fine, so maybe next year will be better. We have planted 6 new cherry trees, along with apple, pear, pomegranate, olive, mulberry, persimmon, quince and peach trees. Our raspberries and tomatoes are thriving and we have a gooseberry bush.
The fig trees are laden. There are a few old trees and we have planted a dozen new ones.
Geraniums this year are happy with the fine days and are looking great.
The hardest thing for me to leave is the view. It is stunning and ever changing. The house faces south and we have sunshine all day.
I love fine, clear days, but I also love the misty days when the village below appears and disappears under the swirling mist.
Casa Debbio has been rented this summer by people from Australia, Scotland, Belgium and Poland. There are a couple of weeks available in August and September…tell your friends.
We think Casa Debbio is the perfect place to enjoy peace and quiet in a gorgeous setting. The only sounds you will hear come from the local birds and, if you are lucky Sisto, who lives below us, will play his music in the afternoons.
The village of Vergemoli is a 10 minute walk, or a 3 minute drive, if you feel like a chat with the locals. In summer there is often a party in the piazza. Drop ins are welcome.
I am counting the days until my return in fabulous autumn…time to prepare the garden for the winter.
It all started with this…amazing.
Spectacular……Debbio should be in House and Garfen magazine…
By: sealights99 on June 27, 2017
at 10:11 pm
It is great to see how well things grow at Casa Debbio.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 10:31 pm
What a lovely setting for all the beautiful blooming things.
By: lulu on June 27, 2017
at 10:18 pm
The setting is spectacular. We have a hectare of land on the side of a steep hill. We haven’t cleared all of the land as we like the trees surrounding us.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 10:33 pm
Amazing indeed! Thanks for sharing the beauty you have created in this stunning spot.
By: Laura on June 27, 2017
at 10:21 pm
I remember when the land was covered in brambles and acacia.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 10:33 pm
Beautiful, you have done an amazing job. Looking forward to seeing it next year 🙂
By: kathy on June 27, 2017
at 10:34 pm
You will see a huge difference.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 11:01 pm
How beautiful. I have seen Tuscany. I envy you.
By: Sherry Felix on June 27, 2017
at 10:37 pm
I spend 6 months each year in lovely Tuscany and the rest in Australia. I love both places.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 11:04 pm
My mother and sister live in Sydney. Australia is a fascinating place.
By: Sherry Felix on June 27, 2017
at 11:32 pm
It is a great place to live. I am torn between 2 places.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 11:36 pm
I would be missing it already. The garden looks amazing Debra. Next time we are in Italy we will have to organise a stay here too. 🙂
By: amindfultravellerblog on June 27, 2017
at 10:54 pm
Let me know when you come back to gorgeous Italy.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 11:04 pm
Sure will. I would love to have a place there too eventually and live there in the summer months.
By: amindfultravellerblog on June 27, 2017
at 11:08 pm
I go to Italy in late winter until the beginning of summer, then head home for our lovely winter, then return to Italy for autumn.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 11:13 pm
Sounds like a plan but I hate the cold 😩Melbourne winter is pretty cold.
Would rather have 12 months of sun 😊
By: amindfultravellerblog on June 27, 2017
at 11:19 pm
Brisbane winter is perfect for me. I find our summers much too hot, same in Italy.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 11:37 pm
Yes. Brisbane is much warmer.
By: amindfultravellerblog on June 28, 2017
at 12:38 am
Lovely.
By: Coral Waight on June 27, 2017
at 11:12 pm
Thank you.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 11:30 pm
Spectacular Deb. What an amazing achievement in 5 years.
By: Wendy on June 27, 2017
at 11:19 pm
Thanks Wendy, you saw it at the beginning. You must return! Send all your New Zealand friends.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 11:32 pm
Your garden looks lovely, Louise
By: The Year I Touched My Toes on June 27, 2017
at 11:22 pm
Thank you, we are delighted with it.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 2, 2017
at 10:40 pm
Debra, I love your pictures! What weeks are available I August and September?
By: DeeSal on June 27, 2017
at 11:24 pm
I mean in August and September
By: DeeSal on June 27, 2017
at 11:25 pm
Casa Debbio is available from 14th August until the end of September. Please let me know if you want more details. If you look at the top of the page you will see Rent our Tuscan house. You can see the interior there.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 11:34 pm
Wow! What you’ve done is absolutely beautiful. One day I hope to live between Italy and Australia….one day can’t come soon enough!
By: Sharon on June 27, 2017
at 11:26 pm
Buying in Italy was the best thing we have ever done.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 11:35 pm
Wow Debra so green! What a contrast in seasons you have there. You have created an idyllic setting, bravo.
By: Jenny brown on June 27, 2017
at 11:26 pm
I love the change of seasons. We don’t get that here in Brisbane.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 27, 2017
at 11:35 pm
What a beautiful achievement – both the house and the garden – it looks like the most wonderful setting for a film .. with George Clooney perhaps 🙂
By: Jan on June 28, 2017
at 12:30 am
I have had experience dressing models and actors, I could step in to help.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 28, 2017
at 4:11 am
Yes, Debbie, your dream has come full circle from a pile of rocks. What a marvellous reward for you and for those who worked with you to see the fruits of all your labours. CASA Debbio is indeed a dream Home in the Mountains. So lovely to see the flowers in bloom and having a scented driveway lined with lavenders from Vergemoli to your home. If Keats was alive, he’ll be composing an ode to Casa Debbio.
By: Sandra Hoopmann on June 28, 2017
at 4:12 am
We are very happy with the progress at Casa Debbio. We would really love it if the lavender extended all the way to Vergemoli, but it just comes up the driveway from the woodcutters’ track.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 28, 2017
at 11:23 am
It is looking so amazing…can’t wait to see it again.
By: Kerry & Jim on June 28, 2017
at 4:23 am
I think you will be amazed.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 28, 2017
at 11:23 am
It is looking fabulous! Congratulations!
By: Mulino Dominillo on June 28, 2017
at 4:30 am
It has been hard work, but worth it.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 28, 2017
at 11:24 am
Beautiful Debra!! You have done tremendous things with your home and garden in the past few years. Hubby and I hope we can get there in the next year or so.
By: Gerry on June 28, 2017
at 4:57 am
It is a beautiful setting and everything is growing. The villagers are happy to see the property thriving again after all these years.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 28, 2017
at 11:25 am
You have created a masterpiece in beautiful garden. Can’t wait to see it again.
By: Kirsi Säde on June 28, 2017
at 5:03 am
You will be impressed I think.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 28, 2017
at 11:26 am
Do you not stay for the hottest months due to the heat or so you can let it? It seems it is hard to leave your beloved home…
By: apollard on June 28, 2017
at 9:05 am
I don’t like hot weather at all. I find Italy too hot and too crowded in summer. I prefer winter, spring and autumn. This works well since most people like summer.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 28, 2017
at 11:28 am
I’m exactly the same, August in Italy is too much for me coming from temperate NZ. I find I can usually comfortably swim in the sea in Italy when I go from September and even into October when the Italians think I am mad. Spring and Autumn are perfect!
By: apollard on June 28, 2017
at 8:08 pm
The setting for your lunches and the entirely of your estate is magnificent. The loveliest thing I see on FB. Thank you.
By: DOREEN NOVOTNY on June 28, 2017
at 10:26 am
Thank you, we love our mountain house.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 28, 2017
at 11:11 pm
You have a fantastic place there, and you and your gardener have worked wonders. The soil there must be pretty good.
By: janetknight57 on June 28, 2017
at 12:31 pm
It was a farm, but it has not been farmed for more than 60 years. Grain, grapes and fruit and vegetables were grown. A fire went through back then and burnt most of the fruit trees. We have a couple of old trees, but when we bought it the property was covered with brambles and acacia. We are trying to bring it back to life. The soil is good in parts, but full of rocks. We are forever digging up rocks, which we use for garden edges.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 28, 2017
at 11:16 pm
I am stunned as to how much your garden has grown since I was there in March, you told me it would! It’s a labour of love for you Debra, and absolutely breathtaking.
By: Andrea Waterhouse on June 29, 2017
at 9:57 pm
Spring does wonderful things in the garden.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2017
at 11:04 pm
Yes indeed-it is amazing what you have created. I would love to see it someday! You have such a wonderful eye for design.
By: paninigirl on June 29, 2017
at 10:17 pm
You are most welcome to visit when you come back to Lucca next time.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2017
at 11:05 pm
Everything is looking absolutely gorgeous. You must be so pleased! Well done.
By: sheilasunshine on June 30, 2017
at 1:13 am
There has just been some welcome rain. Filippo has informed me that the new lavender is growing well. I wish I was there to see it.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 30, 2017
at 2:35 am
I love all the pinks and the purples in the garden. It looks so stunning Debra!
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on June 30, 2017
at 3:37 am
This is so incredibly beautiful Debra and fun to see all the changes over the years! Amazing!
By: thirdeyemom on July 3, 2017
at 9:59 pm