When I was a child, Chinese lanterns were just small orange fruits with a strange tuft of leaves that seemed to be made of paper and came with a strange taste – not exactly food for children! I usually…
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Murta Rose Garden
On the hills of Val Polcevera, nestled between the hills at the foot of Mount Figogna in the outskirts of Genoa, there’s a very special rose garden: Roseto di Murta. This garden features many peculiarities: first of all, there’s a…
There’s a delightful Italian winter garden hidden near Novara, namely in Santa Cristina di Borgomanero: it is the Garden of the Hamamelis , which you have probably already heard of. February is the best time of the year to enjoy,…
Several wonderful gardens and parks can be visited also in winter: the perfect time of the year to observe the very shape of the tree crowns, the evergreen species, topiary works of arts, as well as the very design and…
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Must-see Gardens: Villa Marlia
Our beautiful gardens and estates are eventually reopening to visitors. Among them, Villa Reale di Marlia, in Capannori (Lucca), is one of the most surprising historic abodes in Italy, where Elisa Bonaparte lived and renovated the beautiful park. The…
Our journey to the mountain and botanical gardens of central-southern Italy, often comes across many examples of the dedicated work of mountain communities and passionate scholars. In Liguria, there’s the Botanical Garden of Pratorondanino, in the municipality of Campo Ligure…
Summer is the best season for visiting mountain botanical gardens, full of little beautiful plants, capable of withstanding extreme environmental conditions, and also surrounded by wonderful landscapes. Compared to the traditional botanical gardens in the plains – most of them…
This second itinerary is related to the previous one, “Discovering Nurseries: Firenze and its surroundings (Toscana/1)”, but unlike the latter, it can be enjoyed by bicycle, as distances can be easily covered in just 15 minutes in total. We’re dealing…
In addition to gardens, the surroundings of Florence are full of excellent nurseries, mostly in roses. By following our itinerary, visitors will come across irises, hydrangeas, Mediterranean plants, unusual species, and ancient varieties of fruit plants. Alternatively, or in addition,…
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Discovering Rose Gardens
Traditionally, May is the month of the roses, the one when most of the ancient varieties and botanical species bloom. On the other hand, modern cultivars continue to do so even in winter, or briefly stop during summer, only to…