Jane’s Tuscan Garden

It all started when…

my architect husband Bruno Sacchi bought it in 1976, the land was somewhat abandoned. The property came with the resident farmer whose family had farmed there for over 200 years, but he was retired and just pottered about looking after the parts nearest to the Torre. When, together, we prepared the land to plant more olives and the lorry arrived with the young trees, his eyes filled with tears; he said he couldn’t remember the last time anything had been planted.

That was the beginning of my garden.

In 1985, however, my marriage broke down and I returned to the UK. Bruno continued to live there but refused to allow anything to be pruned, pro- nouncing: “how would you like it if someone came along and cut off your arm?”

After his death in 2011 I returned to an olive grove that was totally overgrown, the trees having grown so tall it was impossible to pick the olives.

My son, daughter and I decided to renovate the property and I took on management of the work. We were obliged to create a new entrance and designing the driveway was an exciting opportunity.

I bought a small tractor and, to the amusement of my neighbours, I ploughed and harrowed the land, cultivated the old olive trees, made hay (using the old ox cart as a trailer), kept chickens, ducks, goats, geese, two chil- dren, and grew vegetables.

Jane’s Tuscan Garden

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