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The magnificent walled gardens of Palazzo Parisio rank amongst the finest in Malta – half a mile long and the only privately owned gardens open to the public. Classically baroque in style, they are a charming mixture of Italian symmetry and Mediterranean colour and perfume, with seasonal appeal all year round. Horticultural groups and garden lovers tours are particularly welcome. The first garden features four lawns surrounding small stone fountains and bordered by low geometric hedges (Euonymus) with wide structured terraces, oleander, bougainvillea and cascading geraniums. The second garden is structured around an imposing central fountain with formal quadrants of traditional Sicilian pebble mosaics and seasonal border plants. Here one can wander at will on meandering pathways through the orange grove, surrounded by exotic Mediterranean species, amongst mature and unusual tropical trees and shrubs. Of particular note is the impressive collection of exotic hybrid Hibiscus with over 60 different species and colours. When the landscapers first created these gardens, the second gateway led to a raised path about half a mile long, flanked by ancient olive trees – still just visible today – to a belvedere overlooking the coast and St. Paul’s Bay. Creation of the gardens also included a highly complex irrigation system – vital in an island with an average annual rainfall of just 24”. An underground water reservoir was dug measuring half the size of the gardens and was linked to wells in the area.
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