Live Pronto!: GIROMAGI!

I love a great nursery, and am always on the lookout for something out of the ordinary. This holds true here in Umbria, just as much as back home in California.

Most of the local nurseries here are small family run operations that have vegetable starts, flowers for outdoors and houseplants….terra cotta pots, soils and compost, fertilizers….just what you might expect. They're great, and I love the small greenhouses these establishments are usually housed in.

These places remind me of the old days when I worked in a wonderful nursery back home. We propagated lots of our own stock, made our own soil mixes and composts, and did it very "old school".

Last year, on our way north around Lago Trasimeno, we came across this fantastic place, Giromagi….I could tell right off the bat that we would love it. Something so cool about a sign done on a rusty metal background:

Why wouldn't you stop at this place???!?

The buildings, made of lots of obviously recycled (or as the young'uns now say, "up-cycled") wood, metal, and old glass windows, were just calling out my name….janelle….janeeellle…..

Oooooohhhh….Me likey.

They offer a nice mix of new pottery pieces, old architectural salvage stuff, and inside, vintage furniture…. Along with an outstanding selection of cactus and succulents.

I was amazed at the large pots on display. Where we live, you could rent these out for living spaces. I kid you not…just put in some carpet and a door….

These are seriously HUGE.

This is a 6-7 foot ladder…which Johnny wants to take home. Me? I'll take the pot.

Where we live, there is a very good succulent nursery…award winning and well known. I'm used to seeing these types of succulents on display, just not here. I was impressed…and glad to see many customers driving off with carloads of these little beauties…
I have to say, though, like in our neck of the woods, these plants are expensive. The larger they get, the more pricey….but what a great introduction to any garden that has the right climate.

Yep. This is how we like it.

So, as you get further into Giromagi, you come across the fun stuff….

Yeah, I'll take these for MY garden, and can ya throw in that
fabulous sink thing?

Nice displays of cool cactuses.

Spikey AND fuzzy.

Oh, did I mention the artwork? Love the concept…art, plants, furniture…
and great rusty metal walls. Sigh. Texture Heaven.

Just another shot of the fantastic display of cactuses...

More interesting varieties..these were pretty large specimens, and the price reflects it
I think it says 110 euros….

Giromagi, from what we learned, is owned by a gentleman from Rome…a garden/home designer, if I remember correctly. This would seem fair, as there are lovely vignettes throughout the place. A wonderful combination of the plant material and the collection of vintage furniture pieces….
Again, you can see that someone has a great eye for both texture and color here. I love how they have mixed the old pieces with the new glazed pottery pieces.

LOVE this blue door. I want it for a headboard in the bedroom at home.

Playful, as well as smart, design ideas..

These little corners of "scenes" are so fun! I just fell in love with it all. Using the specimen cactus as part of the design just makes it more delightful...

These colors floor me!

Adding the paintings, which are all original acrylic on canvas, just elevates the whole design
concept going on here.

I like how each little area is color coordinated, with the plants, artwork and various furnishings. I haven't seen anything quite like this back home. Close, but not like this.

Someone has a serious vision at work here.

Again, the whole texture/color thing just sings…..

YUM.

So, we were also told that the interior spaces, which are several rooms filled with the best vintage fun furnishings ever, are for the parties/rental space events they throw here. Yeah, I want some of this action. I would love to be at a big old party filling these spaces!

Can't you just see it?

From what I could gather….this stuff isn't for sale, it's for the parties. Have you seen the film "La Grande Bellezza"? This is what I imagine going on in here.

And if you have not seen this film…well, do yourself a favor.

Seriously, room after room of nothing but really cool places to sit and mingle…of course, here, in these photos, there is no party going on…but I have a damn good idea of how it could be. Especially after seeing the old school turntables and stacks of vinyl...