This post is also available in: Italian
From the plain at the foot of Bergamo Alta, a beautiful town rich in history, to Brescia, climbing to the hills of Lake Garda, with its mild climate and large historic villas, and then again all the way up to Mantua, a city full of art and culture: we then go across the rich Po River Valley, one of the most exploited Italian territories, discovering some special nurseries. This is a medium-long range itinerary, among spontaneous plants, roses, iris, colourful perennial herbaceous plants, ancient local fruits, peculiar vegetables and edible herbs.
Once you’ve reached Botanika Nursery, you may want to proceed with another recommended itinerary:
DISCOVERING NURSERIES: FROM COMO TO LECCO, ALONG THE LAKES (LOMBARDIA/3), heading to Res Naturae Nursery, 20,5 miles away or vice versa (planning a longer trip from Como to Mantova).
The nurseries
The map shows the nurseries and other locations included in our suggested itinerary. Distances are also mentioned, in order to make it easier and more practical for you to make your choice and save petrol and time.
Botanika Nursery Fiori Spontanei, in Valbrembo (BG): Botanika is a very special nursery: it was founded by Giovanni Manfredini, with an agricultural sciences degree (and long experiences in the forestry sector, at the Hillier nursery in England, and at the Botanical Garden of Bergamo). This nursery is specialized in the cultivation of spontaneous plants: flowers of the meadows, flowers of arid and sunny meadows, flowers from the Alps, flowers from the wheat fields, aromatic and spontaneous plants, flowers and shrubs of the Mediterranean scrub, flowers and plants from uncultivated areas, flowers and herbs of the undergrowth, species found on dry-stone walls, species from humid environments, spontaneous and sedimentary grasses, megaphorbiae ferns and flowers, Ericaceae varieties and heath flowers, as well as spontaneous creepers.
Distances to other nurseries: 44,7 miles to Rose Rifiorentissime – 49,7 miles to Zanelli Nursery – 59 miles to L’Insolito Giardino – 74 miles to La Margherita Nursery.
Rose Rifiorentissime®, in Mazzano (BS): Founded in 2001 by Adriana Balzi and her husband Roberto Rizzonelli, Rose Rifiorentissime® is a company specialized in the research, cultivation, and introduction of collectable re-flowering roses, created by the most renowned European hybridizers (Austin, Harkness, Poulsen, Lens, Kordes, Delbard, Meilland, etc.). They include the following categories: English Roses, Tea Hybrids, Floribunda, Creepers, Miniatures, Ground Coverers, Moschata Hybrids, and many more. There are different types of blooming ranging from roses with discreet flowering (twice a year), to exceptional ones that constantly produce flowers from May to the first winter frosts. The nursery also takes care of designing “Rose Gardens”, where these flowers are the true protagonists and, since 2003, it has researched and reintroduced ancient varieties of fruit plants from Brescia, which have now reached a hundred species, largely saved from oblivion.
Distances to other nurseries: 7,5 miles to Zanelli Nursery – 44,7 miles to Botanika Nursery – 20,2 miles to L’Insolito Giardino – 31 miles to La Margherita Nursery.
Zanelli Nursery, in Montichiari (BS): it is specialized in collections of Helleborus orientalis, rustic garden orchids – including Cypripedium and Bletille – protected by the Washington Convention; then again, it features some beautiful coneflowers (echinacee), anemones, columbines (Aquilegia L. ), mini hostas, rare Japanese herbaceous plants and unusual small shrubs, as well as species and varieties still almost unknown over the Italian territory, rather difficult to propagate, or requiring years from seed to flowering. For example, garden orchids are sold when they’re at least 5 years old, according to their variety; all hellebores are at least 3 years old, while some mini hostas are 4 years old. A small branch of this nursery, Pistoia, Tuscany, is currently used as a production facility.
Distances to other nurseries: 10,5 miles to L’Insolito Giardino – 49,7 miles to Botanika Nursery – 7,5 miles to Rose Rifiorentissime – 22,7 miles to La Margherita Nursery.
L’Insolito Giardino, Solferino (MN): Insolito Giardino (“The unusual garden”) is the nursery of Laura Buonadonna and her husband Luciano, where they grow daffodils, in as many as 50 varieties, rustic, easy-to-reproduce oriental hellebores, fritillaries, tulips and fifty varieties of tall, medium, dwarf bearded irises and historical varieties. The nursery is behind their house and extends into that of the neighbours: a community of friends who have decided to cultivate their own patches of green as if it were a unique and undivided facility.
Distances to other nurseries: 16,7 miles to La Margherita Nursery – 59 miles to Botanika Nursery – 20,2 miles to Rose Rifiorentissime – 10,5 miles to Zanelli Nursery.
La Margherita Nursery, in Gazoldo degli Ippoliti (Mn): La MargheRita was established in 1980, when the existing traditional farm was turned into a nursery, assuming its current name. It stretches over 3.587 square yards of heated greenhouses and 1.196 square yards of cold greenhouses, hosting flowering plants, cyclamen, fruit plants, geraniums, chrysanthemums, traditional and unusual vegetable plants. The passion for aromatic herbs began in 2000, with a small collection of about 20 specimens. Today, the collection includes over 160 types of plants for gastronomic and dietary use. In recent years, the owners’ interest has also turned to forgotten or unusual edible flowers, and vegetables from other countries such as India, Africa, Egypt, Latin America. Over the years, La MargheRita has evolved its features and aims, creating a B&B farmhouse in 2002, along with cycling routes across the country.
Distances to other nurseries: 74 miles to Botanika Nursery – 31 miles to Rose Rifiorentissime – 22,7 miles to Zanelli Nursery – 16,7 miles to L’Insolito Giardino.
Beautiful gardens along the way
There are so many beautiful gardens along the way; since it’s quite difficult to mention them all, here’s our best selection:
Orto botanico di Bergamo Lorenzo Rota,
Il Vittoriale degli Italiani,
Giardino Botanico Fondazione Andrè Heller,
Limonaia del Castel, along Garda Lake shores, in the province of Brescia,
Giardino di Palazzo Ducale, in Mantova.
Look the other ones up by visiting: www.italianbotanicalheritage.com. Feel free to use the filtering tools in the pull-down menus, to locate the ones you’d like to visit according to your areas of interest.
Excellent artisans in this area
Manifattura Monica Bispo, in Carpenedolo (BS): Monica is a young, beautiful and talented sculptor from Salvador, naturalized in Brescia. With her skilled hands, she creates delicate and poetry-inspired earthenware from clay, like vases, tiles, plates, tags for plants, home and garden decorations – every single work of art is absolutely unique. Her workshop is where she actually lives, while customers and friends are always welcomed with some great Brazilian coffee and coconut cakes.
Bianca&Me, in Bergamo: Those who love soap bars and cannot resist their colours cannot miss this small laboratory. It was created by a young mother, Grazia Clerici, to find a solution for her little girl with very sensitive skin. Investigating the old homemade soap techniques, she researched and experimented with natural ingredients, then also decided to become a professional, working with moulds and shapes, inspired by her artistic skills and true poetry. Grazia’s soap creations are very delicate on the skin while appearing in eye-catching, exquisite shapes, with tender pastel shades and irresistible light fragrances. The most beautiful is probably the heart made with numberless tiny roses
Delicacies and Accommodation
B&B e Agriturismo La MargheRita, in Gazoldo degli Ippoliti (Mn): La MargheRita was established in 1980, when the existing traditional farm was turned into a nursery, assuming its current name.
It stretches over 3.587 square yards of heated greenhouses and 1.196 square yards of cold greenhouses, hosting flowering plants, cyclamen, fruit plants, geraniums, chrysanthemums, traditional and unusual vegetable plants. The passion for aromatic herbs began in 2000, with a small collection of about 20 specimens. Today, the collection includes over 160 types of plants for gastronomic and dietary use.
In recent years, the owners’ interest has also turned to forgotten or unusual edible flowers, and vegetables from other countries such as India, Africa, Egypt, Latin America.
Over the years, La MargheRita has evolved its features and aims, creating a B&B farmhouse in 2002, along with cycling routes across the country.
This post is also available in: Italian
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