Artfully Tamed: the garden designs of Fabiano Crociani

When garden design comes together, it’s magnificent; it is the understated greenery of over flowering shrubs, cascades of colour and fragrant herbs that fill us with joy – in other words: Mediterranean landscaping. And although it may look effortless, it is very much not, in fact it takes plenty of hard work and skill to create that just-tamed perfection.

Enter Fabiano Crociani, who caught our eye with his artistic development of the gardens around restoration project turned luxury hotel, Vocabolo Moscatelli, located in Italy’s rural hinterland: Umbria. Hailing from Tuscany, Crociani was born into a family of florists, so his love of flower power came young, surrounded by the scents, colour and joy that fresh bouquets bring.

Keeping to the green mantra, Crociani went on to gain a degree in forestry from the University of Florence and tested his mettle in the field of ornamental greenery at several prestigious plant nurseries in Tuscany. After a Masters in Landscape Design in Barcelona at the University of Catalonia, his professional services were naturally called upon in the region. 

In 2012, his birthplace of Tuscany called him back, and Crociani returned to sprinkle his horticultural magic on the gardens and green spaces of his lucky clients which included private houses, palazzos, hotels, terraces, farmhouses and public gardens. With his winning combination of softening shrubbery contrasting with regimented fields of flowers, weaving pathways and greenery-clasped pools, Crociani’s designs sit perfectly against wizened olive trees and the golden glow of old buildings. 

The perfect example is naturally Vocabolo Moscatelli, where row-upon-row of alliums wave in the breeze against the old stone monastery, and never-ending bushes of lavender create the olfactory soundtrack to this evocative hotel. We also love his approach to a rooftop in Rome, populated with giant, oversized terracotta plant pots for that magical al fresco vibe, drenched in Italian sunlight. We’d love to sit in the secret garden of an old farmhouse in Chianti where cushions top rocky perches, the view stretches for miles and bees hum lazily around bushels of lavender,  where it would be rude not to enjoy a glass of Tuscan wine.

Crociani knows very well the strength of a wonderful garden; his designs trade on the power of nature, where we can sit and drink it all in.