Gardens near Rome receive major European Garden Award

The romantic English-style gardens of Ninfa, situated about 80 km south-east of Rome, have reeived a prestigious European Garden Award from the European Garden Heritage Network (EGHN).
Ninfa came second only to London's Kew Gardens in the "European heritage of gardens and gardening" section of the EGHN network which comprises 190 parks and gardens in 14 countries.
The recognition was awarded to the president of Ninfa garden's Roffredo Caetani Foundation, Tommaso Agnoni, who said that Ninfa is now a "point of reference throughout Europe."
Considered by the New York Times as "the most beautiful and romantic garden in the world", Ninfa has more than 1,000 shrubs, plants and flowering trees spread out over its eight-hectare site.
The gardens were established among the area's mediaeval ruins in 1922 by Lelia Caetani, the last descendant of the Caetani family which owned the propetrty since the 14th century, and her husband Hubert Howard.
The European Garden Award was formed by the EGHN in 2010 to help raise public awareness of the European heritage of gardens and contemporary gardening and to promote international cooperation.
For more information about Ninfa and other gardens in the greater Rome area see the Wanted in Rome garden guide.