Endless Outdoor Opportunities

Listen to the lyrical soothing sound of water circulating through a stone fountain. Inhale the scent of ripening lemons and oranges in trees elegant in matching oversized planters. Gaze at the charming statue of a young girl holding a basket of roses. Feel the sun-baked warmth of the stone bench that cradles you. 

A Mediterranean garden certainly is a feast for the senses. An impossible dream? With the economy still in the doldrums, you can’t spend thousands of dollars to take that trip to Tuscany this year? Here’s a wonderful alternative. For a fraction of the cost of a journey to southern Europe, Giannini Garden Ornaments Inc. can help you create that same look right at home in your own garden. With Giannini’s Euro-style handmade pieces, you can turn your dreams into a “staycation” reality. You can even get your own authentic outdoor pizza oven! 

Best of all, the stone outdoor pieces you place in your yard will last a lifetime, not just two weeks—and add value to your property. “We really want our customers to be happy,” asserts Piera Giannini, who co-owns the business with her husband Marino Giannini. “We like to spend a lot of time with them here helping them choose what will make them happy.”

With so many pieces to choose from—there are about 1,000 at their South San Francisco showroom and factory at any given time—the Gianninis understand that it can be difficult to make a decision. You can get a preview of their many charming elegant pieces on their website but a visit to their showroom is the best way to get a real feel for the scale and style of a piece.

“The selection is so vast, you need time to shop here and people come back more than once,” adds Piera.  

All pieces are designed by Marino, whose family in Italy has worked in the statuary business for several generations.  Recently, he designed a new line of minimalist contemporary fountains. Molds are made on the premises for his designs and the pieces are produced there as well. At last count, the Gianninis have over 5,000 molds of Marino’s designs. “He drives me crazy,” laughs Piera. “He is a true Italian artisan—always designing. We can’t keep up with him.”

So although Marino’s design inspirations come from his native Italy, nearly all of the Gianninis’ stone garden pieces are made onsite with a resulting smaller carbon footprint. It would take a lot more fuel and cause more pollution to ship similar heavy pieces from Mexico, China or Europe. The cement they use comes from nearby Fremont, making the exquisite garden ornaments not only reasonably priced but a way to buy local. 

But the Gianninis also offer an exclusive selection of several product lines from Italy that they have chosen themselves. These include stone pizza ovens, Italian terra cotta pieces and Italian ceramics.

The Gianninis met as students in Italy when Piera, a native San Franciscan, was on vacation. They started their business in 1993 in their garage with wall fountains that Marino made. Today, in true Italian family tradition, the couple’s oldest son, Pierluigi, 24, has joined the firm after earning his business degree, and Alessandro, 18, works with them on weekends. The family ambiance adds to the authenticity and integrity 

the Gianninis bring to everything they do.

Whether it means running around and turning off fountains in the showroom so the customer can listen to the sound of just one or gathering cement samples of their 14 different color finishes for customers to take home—“vintage” and “antico” are the favorites right now—the Gianninis pride themselves on offering products and service that combine the best of contemporary and classic European style. 

How to Create Your Own Backyard Paradise With 3 Easy Pieces 

1. Piera Gianinni recommends starting with a fountain. “A fountain gives your outdoor space a fabulous focal point,” she says. If space is tight, consider a wall-mounted fountain. Otherwise go for a tiered fountain. Cost? “You can get a great fountain with pumps and everything for about $550,” Piera estimates.

2. Next, Piera recommends getting at least two identical very, very, big plant containers. These will cost about $80 to $100 each. Plant small trees in them. For a Mediterranean look, Piera suggests citrus or olive trees. “That’s a very Tuscan style, says Piera, “and it’s beautiful.”

3. Still have some room in the budget? Go for a statue, Piera suggests. “A statue adds visual interest and makes a garden space look finished. It is a refined and elegant look. “We have estate-style statues that look like they are one of a kind but they are not priced like one of a kind.”

Match a Fountain to Your Home’s Style