The plant in the picture grows in north Italy, where the temperature is not too dissimilar from the South of England.
Sorry to disappoint you but in North Italy temperature can yes reach -18 in winter , but in summer we got +40 , North Italy is really famous for the rice plantation , still didn`t manage to grow any rice over here. ps really raccomand Rome and Naples in May or September , as i`m from the Amalfi cost area