Sentinel at Villa Pisani

This garden of Villa Pisani is filled with stories, the tulip meadow, the giant trees and the leafy glades are either survivors of a past plan or a testament to the Last Duchess. As you walk from the formal Italian garden to the galloping wilderness of the English Garden you find the sentinels. They are the cast concrete statues that act as guardians to the paths and beds.

This little fellow guards a huge patch of lavender that is slowly being destroyed by the heat. Above him stands a tree similarly cursed and sinking into autumn. Moss and lichen crawl over the statue, a blanket of browns and ochres. A reminder from the earth that all affectation will be reclaimed. Amidst this he bravely soldiers on.