The Geraniums of Italy
Bringing a splash of colour everywhere
The sight of a geranium always takes me back to Italy. Back to flower-strewn balconies and stone steps, to walls covered with colour as geraniums tumble out of flowerpots. One of the reasons I grow so many at home is because of the memories they bring.
Every town has geraniums, no matter the season. In Lucca, they were a riot of colour wherever I wandered (and Lucca is a place designed for wandering.) Perhaps it was the sunshine, or the narrow medieval streets which suddenly opened onto peaceful piazzas, or the shops I simply had to explore.
It seems every restaurant in Venice is adorned with flowers — for a city with no apparent backyards, I was amazed at the number of plant and seedling shops I came across. Florence, Rome, Montepulciano, San Gemignano; whatever the place, there will be these flowers in abundance. In Venice, they grow in pots on any corner that grabs the sunshine. A resturant or cafe without geraniums is simply not trying.
