My Oscar speech

by Anna Piussi

 

Admit it, we’ve all dreamt of our Oscar acceptance speech! I will be standing in my recycled wedding dress, conveniently celery coloured, holding a carrot-shaped statuette, tearfully thanking all those who believed in me and helped me grow. In primis my clients for the gardens of Forte San Giorgio, on the island of Capraia, who supported my vision, and Matteo Carassale, the photographer who captured its spirit for publication. Thanks also to my eclectic formation, the many experiences on roundabout route that took me to this art. I credit the inspiration of great garden shows, like Chelsea Flower show and Orticolario, the patrons like Moritz Mantero who supported me in my participation, and the generosity of the more experience designers who shared their wisdom and tips with me. Thanks also to the nursery owners, agronomists, gardeners and many other colleagues whose decades of site experience made me revise or bin all my initial planting plans, often with no other words than an incredulous laugh. I’ve been blessed by the friendship of some of the top gardeners in historical Florentine gardens. While the collective message is that there is always a solution, just find the right plant for the right place, we also agree that plants are the easy bit: dealing with people is harder. But the clients who tell you how to do your job and hinder you, which I must deal with by biting my tongue, are offset by those who trust the designer and collaborate with the idea, fostering and nurturing the creation of a living work of art. This Oscar goes to them, true patrons of the arts.