Why I Oughta...

The gardens at Muckross House include a traditional walled garden (with espalier) and an arboretum, a lake, the formal lawns and some informal gardens.  One of those features a colony of giant Gunnera.  And...I mean...GIANT.   We were walking back to the bus from the Arboretum and spotted this patch of large, green foliage that almost looks like it is too-big-to-believe.  This is Gunnera. With foliage that is bigger than just about anything you'll ever come across in a garden (Hand for size): It grows tall, too.  KoTBTs for size: While super interesting, it appears that Giant Gunnera is invasive in Ireland - particuarly in the West side of the country .  

I came across these planters in the town of Val d'Elsa in Northern Italy this Summer (photo below) that are what I think are municipal planters that serve as both traffic deterrents, pedestrian protection and beautification in one package.  See below for the photo showing the pair that feature concrete bases, metal uprights (that keep the container centered) and cylindrical terracotta containers.  Pretty neat, right?  I was really drawn to these - I like the containers - but also the ingenuity.  They're heavy, so they can't be moved.  The containers are also protected by the iron pipes.  I've drawn some gardening inspiration before from European gardens, so I'm adding this to that list.