Fresh from the prestigious recognition of Partner Garden of the Royal Horticultural Society, the Gardens of Villa della Pergola are ready for the flowering of their famous collection of Agapanthus, the most important in Europe.
Every year, Alassio transforms itself into the European capital of Agapanthus, and it does so also in this special year, dedicated to the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the English settlement. Right here at the Gardens of Villa della Pergola, protagonists today as 150 years ago of this prestigious liaison, the thousands of specimens of this flower are awakening, which over the years has become one of the symbols of this place.
And what better way to celebrate this historic bond than with the entry of the Gardens, this year, into the Royal Horticultural Society as a Partner Garden? A prestigious recognition that further strengthens the bond between Alassio, botany and that garden culture that the English have helped to spread throughout the world.
A legacy that is still alive today, represented in an emblematic way by Villa della Pergola and its Gardens, saved from potential building speculation in 2006 and transformed into a botanical oasis of excellence.
These days, right here, the spectacular collection of Agapanthus is blooming. The Gardens are in fact home to a unique collection in Europe, thanks to thousands of specimens of this spectacular flower that completely transforms the landscape thanks to its shades of blue, white and purple.
The collection is considered the largest and most important in Europe for its vastness and different varieties: over 500, all certified by SOI, the Italian Society of Horticulture and Flowering.
At Villa della Pergola, agapanthus were introduced into the Gardens by the first English owners at the end of the 19th century, right from the beginning of their creation. At the time they were still called Lilies of the Nile: it was in fact only in 1905 that the Botanical Nomenclature Congress of Vienna gave them the name we know today.
The collection that can be admired today was created from scratch by the famous landscape architect Paolo Pejrone, a student of Russel Page, during the restoration phase of the Gardens, which began way back in 2006, with the evocative and romantic idea of recalling with this flower the waves of the Ligurian Riviera sea that the park overlooks.
Thousands of specimens and an unforgettable effect, which thanks to brush strokes rich in color in a thousand shades of blue create the effect of a "sea of agapanthus".
To further enrich the spectacle of the summer season, there are also blooms of hydrangeas, hibiscus, water lilies and lotus flowers, along with numerous rarities and botanical curiosities to be discovered.
Tickets for guided tours and for the Masterclass can be purchased HERE.