The Lemon House

On Sunday, Michelle and I spent a few hours exploring the Boboli Gardens (could the name be related to the ready-made pizza crust sold in American supermarkets???). This outdoor space sits behind a huge palace that has been converted into several art museums under one roof (the Palazzo Pitti). As we wandered through the vast and meticulously designed gardens that were built by the Medici family, I couldn't help but imagine the courting and flirting that must have occurred on the benches around the fountains or next to a particularly romantic sculpture or underneath the trees that formed an almost hidden walkway, ideal for hand holding. 

The fountain between the palace and the gardens:

A modern sculpture:

One of the many not so modern sculptures:

A courting pathway right out of Bridgerton:

This pathway that felt a little too much like "The Shining."

The view from the top. The gardens were built on the side of the hill, so lots of steps conquered for this view:

My favorite discovery in this mega garden was the "Lemon House." For all my farmer/gardener readers... imagine you have a bunch of lemon trees in pots. In fact, you have about 500 of them. You probably got them from the south of Italy where it is warmer. In Florence the winters get a wee bit chilly, so you need to find a way to protect them from the cold. You might build a simple shed or even a greenhouse could work. Or maybe you stick them in a Quonset if there is room among your machinery. This is what the Italians build... a Lemon House! 

Left side:

Right side:

Inside:

Nothing super fancy on the inside, but check out that extraordinary facade. It's one very fancy plant shed!