Once upon a time there was a scotsman called Neil McEacharn who spotted an advert in The Times for the Villa Taranto. He bought it in 1931 and spent the next 30 or so years creating a rich a varied garden with plants from around the world, the most surprising feature of which was, in my view, the dahlia maze
Dahlias have never been one of my favourite flowers but this display caused me to think twice! Alongside the Dahlias were many more exotic plants such as these giant amazonian lilies
and an amazing field of lotus blossom - one of my favourites
There were also beautiful vistas
and some other visitors
McEacharn died at the Villa Taranto in 1964 and is buried in a mausoleum in the grounds decorated with his beloved flowers
close to these spectacular views