a breathtaking  lunch @Mirella Collavini (pictures taken from the web)


Mirella is without a shadow of doubt a grand Dame of gardening. Sheer elegance defines her, far from the obstentations of Modern society obsessed with selfies and self promotion Mirella oozes refinement in every spore:). More than being a Fern, she the lady of aspidistrias, rohdeas, tupistras, peliosanthes.

What aspidistras? you might be joking? wtf Aspidistras according to Gordon Comstock, the novel protagonist of : Keep the aspidistra flying, the epitome of the middle class failing to keep respectability. This extremely difficult plant to kill, which in a way could be part of the bridal bouquet of Hyacinth Bucket, pardon Bouquet, the star of Keeping of with appearences. Hyacinth, is "adorable" in her grotesque failed attempt to be a wannabee, a true posh, in the sense of pretending to be a social class which she does not belong, a modern bourgeois gentil'homme but with more grotesque hues than the drama by Moliére. Aspidistras were so famous that wikipedia suggest me ( I am not cheating i swear) that a famous popular song "The biggest aspidistra in the world" was a warime favourite in it's heyday.
   Mirella' s genius is to collected all, those  plants which were considered  worthless, too easy to grow  and not as chic as more difficult and  chic plants. Mirella has been the Lady of Violets, and she brought back these delightful delicacies out of oblivion. Beauties like: Viola di Udine, and conte de Brazzà were popularised again by her, and now her famous Violet days have been somewhat copied by others. Then came the commeliaceas period, in italian the were called Miseries due to their resilience, Then Impatiens, and so many others. Now she is planning to do a medieval farden in her small, yet marvellous austere garden,and her marvellous mansion. It is a modern garden, although the cloud topiaries would  suggest overwise. The exquisite pond hidden by the topiaries is the shrine of a beautiful  southafrican, white aponogeton flowering now in january. Close to the house some old wooden doors give a methaphysical, yet modern touch by the fact that these doors, separate the garden to a beautiful hallway of the garden to the garden. Behind these fake doors, beautiful specimens of Lee s Perpetual roses beautiful even in their bare, winter attire. 

          All the asp, are frpm the family of asparageaceas, as the common edible Aparagus. There are apparently 101 species of aspidistras only, 23 Peliosanthes, 17 Rodheas, 21 Tupistras. Mirella has almost finished the collection, and she was just telling us that ther last babies came from a russian nursery which collected the plants in Thailand, but had to send a friend to Russia, because the nursery does not delivery abroad. Apart from the species, the varieties are exquisite, with sublimes streaks or blotchts, giving the term variegation an artistic touch. The collection is displayed in her mansion s entrance, in such a grand yet subdued style. with big specimens in chinese pots, and the rest in simple yet eleongated vases. I was invited during a rare plant lunch( Adipa) where  beautiful centre table, where garnished with adianthum. mosses and snowdrops under a glass bell. Enormous vases with large branches of winter sweets, giving a theatrical setting to an elegant dining room, follerf by the most refined living room, adorned by art books, precolombian huacos and new guinea statues and an old fireplace. The lunch was filled with delightful conversations with Patrizia Ianne, and the other plant specialists. I felt a mere caveman. It ended with an accordéoniste playing .....