'All gardening eyes' on the iris festival in Florence

It is claimed that the renowned Giardino dell'Iris opening its gates to the public draws vast swathes of gardeners and holiday makers to the Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence.

Tourists making their way from their Tuscany villas to the city can expect "beautiful flowers, meticulously refined through generations and generations by the careful hands of their keepers", Whatsonwhen says.

The site adds: "Even if you're not passionate about flowers it should be a refreshing splash of early summer colour in a beautiful city."

Growers of the specimen that most closely resembles the iris in the coat of arms of the city itself will also receive a special prize, it says.

Those who stay in a villa in Gambassi Terme - a location of supreme beauty - will find themselves surrounded by lush coutryside and plentiful wildlife and ideally located for day trips to Florence, Pisa and San Gimignano.

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