This chalet in the Italian Alps is almost Japanese in its minimalism: all understated calm and breathtaking views
The interior of this three-bedroom apartment may be the height of cosy, understated luxe, but it’s the views that count: snow-covered peaks, dense pine forests and a picturesque mountain village all nestled in a valley 1,400m above sea level. La Thuile sits at the extreme west of Italy’s Valle d’Aosta, close to the border with France and Switzerland, part of a vast ski area known as Espace San Bernardo.
Continue reading...Then plant Corsican hellebore for evergreen foliage, and volunteer to help map an orchard
Plant this I’m a sucker for a green flower in winter, so Corsican hellebore (Helleborus argutifolius) is high on my list of favourites. Its leathery evergreen foliage is the perfect foil for its bell-like blooms from January to March. Needs fertile soil in partial shade to thrive: height and spread 80cm x 80cm.
Mulch this Less hardy border flower favourites such as arum lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica) and agapanthus benefit from a blanket of mulch to protect them from winter wet and cold. Add a thick layer of a dry mulch such as bark chips, dead bracken or straw to a depth of about 20cm. Make a note in your 2019 calendar to pull it away from the growing points of the plant come spring.
Continue reading...Bergenias can be majestic in the colder months
The first hard nights of cold turn elephant ears into something else. Overnight they will blush from a glossy green into rich mahogany or deep plum wine. They will crackle with crimson and glow with cherry tints and hold these majestic colours all winter long until the first few really warm days of spring appear – then, like that, they will drop their winter colour and fade back to green. You might all but forget about them until, come spring, they unfurl into graceful nodding heads of magenta, pink or white flowers.
Continue reading...