How to Plant an Italian Garden in Your Home

If you are a fan of Italian food and want to grow a bountiful Italian garden in your backyard, we have got you covered. Creating an Italian-inspired garden is simple and a lot of fun, offering delicious rewards. You can grow evergreen Italian vegetable garden plants along with eye-catching flowers to add Italian touch to your garden. These gardens feature a variety of edible and decorative plants, such as flowering shrubs, climbing vines, and evergreens.

Italian gardens are heavenly fusions of classical order and dramatic flourish. They're known for their symmetry, formal pathways, and classical sculptures. Most Italians are interested in growing plants that produce something edible such as fruits, herbs, and nuts.

This blog is a guide to growing the plants that are best suited to create an Italian garden in your home and adding other elements of Italian garden design.

What to plant in Italian style garden

As an Italian food lover, you can plant all these herbs and vegetables to grow an edible Italian garden even if you've short space. Grow these plants and turn their produce into delicious and budget-friendly meals. These plants are backyard staples in Italian gardens because they perfectly fit into Mediterranean cuisine and aesthetic.

Beans

When you're planting an Italian-style garden, any beans will work. However, fava beans are iconic and the most preferred legumes in Italian cuisine. Cannellini is another variety of beans that produces beautiful cream-colored beans.

You can add them to soups, dry them for out-of-season use, mix them into spreads, or use them in pasta. They can be grown in containers but need full sun to do well.

Broccoli

This is a nutritious vegetable with crisp, dark green, and sturdy florets. This green plant of the Brassica family is also a standby in Italian cuisine. There are various ways to enjoy this edible plant.

You can use it in soups or salads, sauté, bake, or grill it, or even eat fresh broccoli leaves. For an authentic Italian treat, spray with extra virgin olive oil, pepper, and salt and roast in the oven.

Basil

Basil is everyone's favorite and popular herb. Use freshly picked basil leaves to make pesto sauce or bruschetta, or pair them with tomatoes and cheese drizzled with vinegar for Caprese salad. This plant is indispensable for salads, salsa, soups, and also desserts.

Bell Pepper

You cannot make a good pasta sauce without stirring in crisp, sweet bell peppers. Red, orange, yellow, purple, and green bell peppers can add amazing color and flavor to your recipes.

Simmer them in soups or slice them in salads. Additionally, roast the bell peppers to make antipasti as they do in Italian restaurants.

Lettuce

Italians love salads, and no salad is complete without lettuce. Crispy and fresh lettuce leaves are commonly used in salads, grilled, and brushed with olive oil. Romaine lettuce is an Italian favorite. Luckily, this leafy crop is easy to grow in pots.

Parsley

Parsley is another popular Italian herb that makes any dish tastier and prettier. Freshly chopped leaves of parsley are used in savory dishes, pasta, and ethnic recipes around the world.

Spinach

Round out your Italian garden with a vibrant spinach plant and feed yourself with Italian spinach recipes. Spinach is a superfood rich in fiber and vitamins. Raw or sauteed, this leafy green makes a tasty base for salads.

Thyme

This delicate-looking and aromatic herb is a staple in Italian kitchens. It is a powerhouse of flavor, added to soups, stews, meat recipes, vegetable dishes, or even simmered into sauces.

Zucchini

This versatile plant is commonly used in Italian cuisine that can be eaten grilled, sauteed, or raw in healthy salads and zoodles. Also, use them in vegan soup, and pizza.

Other popular gems of Italian gardens include eggplants, red onions, tomatoes, artichokes, oregano, squash, garlic, and cucumber.

Tips to turn your backyard into Italian Garden

In addition to planting an edible Italian garden, incorporate some other classic elements of Italian gardens to bring Italian aesthetics to your garden and home. Here are some ideas to add an Italian romance to your space. 

Incorporate Symmetry

Italian gardens are all about symmetrical layouts and geometric pathways. To make the most out of your Italian garden, divide the space in a symmetrical manner. Paths should be straight with a central focal point, and plant flowers, shrubs, and other crops in symmetrical patterns.

Additionally, use rows of trees or clipped evergreens to achieve the effect of balance and finish off a perfectly symmetrical Italian garden.

Scatter a few sculptures

Sculptures that recall the classic and romantic history are key elements of an Italian-style garden. Place single pieces on pathways to make eye catching focal points.

Make outdoor dining and seating areas

Relaxing in an outdoor seating area and having open-air dining is not only a great way to dine but will also give you something to look forward to. Consider adding a vintage seating area to your garden. For outdoor furniture, invest in a quality one made of weather-tolerant materials.

It's best to go for wooden dining sets or wrought iron sets, which look elegant and possess that Italian romance.

Add colorful plants and roses

Colorful plants like climbing vines and ornamental shrubs can adorn the whole appearance of your Italian-inspired garden. Italy has the finest rose gardens. Plant climbing roses for a whimsical and refined look.

Perfect for fences, walls, and arbors, climbing roses offer elegance and divine fragrance. Consider adding lavender and wisteria to bring fun color and delight to your garden all summer.

The Bottom Line

Plant an Italian garden by growing these edible crops that are staples in Italian cuisine. Incorporate some classic key elements of Italian garden design to beautify your entire space. Another tip is to use terracotta pots or tiles and warm-colored stones for pathways or dining areas for an Italian-inspired look.

So, follow these tips and create a beautiful Italian garden in your home. In no time, you will be enjoying the rewards of your efforts by using fresh crops in all Mediterranean dishes and eating them with your loved ones in your own Italian paradise.