or even the world are to be found in the hills near Rome. For inspiration and ideas there are three gardens with which to cram a life-time of sketches and ideas. Particularly if you could step back in time and help yourself to the purse of a Cardinal.
My three favourites are these: Diana of the Ephesians as spouting fertility goddess at Villa d'Este.
Then for a table for entertaining outside, one made of stone with a cool rill down the middle for floating cold bottles of pink lemonade and wine in. When conversation palls, flick a switch and send up jets of water to cascade, crash, soak the guests and divert. This is at Villa Lante.
But the most evocative and alluring for sound and looking at has to be the rill that hurries down the staircase at Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola, in the garden above the palazzo for summer entertaining. The pairs of fish link mouths and the water swells between them. In the distance it is a giant spine down green and unkempt steps. Close up it turns into a fishmongers slab. The model for the glug jug?
