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La Mortella is a garden-museum created by Susana Walton, the wife of the British composer William, at Forio, in the western area of the Ischia island. The name mortella indicates myrtles (Myrtus communis), plants which grow abundantly between the rocks on which the garden is developed. The garden’s design dates back to 1956 and it was commissioned to the landscaper Russell Page in the sixties. Nowadays, La Mortella is structured in two different areas: “Giardino a Valle” designed by Russell Page and characterised by a subtropical climate, and the “Giardino superiore” on the hill, which was completely designed by Lady Walton, with plants from all the Mediterranean areas. The garden is developed on an area of about 2 hectares and collects more than 3000 exotic and rare plant species. In addition, it is enriched by streams, lakes, fountains, pools, watercourses which allow the cultivation of water plants and on terracing built with drywalls, from where it is possible to enjoy one of the most suggestive views of Forio’s bay.

THE PLANTS
The magnolia collection is located in the garden la Valle. There are Hydrangee, the great Chorisia speciosa and part of the Cycadaceae collection. La Valle is overlooked by huge Liriodendron tulipifera, with a height of twenty metres which host epiphytic plants like orchids, Tillandsie, ferns and Bromeliacee. One of the most surprising collections is the one of arboreal ferns concentrated on two different areas: the ancient part of the collection is formed principally by Cyathea (with enormous specimens of C. cooperi and C. medullaris, Cyathea australis, and the most common Dicksonia anctartica; on the opposite side there is a more recent collection. The upper garden, or Collina, has been developed by Lady Walton from 1983, it is punctuated by surprising architectural elements, which are often intertwined with symbolic meanings and bonds with history and archaeological sites of the island. A trachyte mass is located on a promontory of about 120 metres above the sea level, where the ashes of the artists are guarded. The Aloe collection is here together with Serra della Victoria where the Victoria amazonica water lilies are cultivated together with the rare climbing plant of Philippines Strongylondon macrobotys, famous for its jade green flowers. The museum collecting antiques of Walton Altri is located on the hill next to the green house of the orchids. The points of interest are the Thai room, a calm place of meditation surrounded by an oriental atmosphere made with lotus (Nelumbo spp.), peonies (Paeonia spp.), bamboo and Japanese maple trees (Acer palmatum).

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)