The Meise Botanical Garden, one of the largest in Europe, has a collection of another 2,500 specimens of rhododendrons and azaleas, a remarkable reverse greenhouse and forests with centuries-old trees. Bruxelles Meise Botanical Garden Photographs and text by CrisTina Archinto A part of the forest with a carpet of Allium ursinum At the Meise Botanical Garden, also known as Jardin botanique Meise which is located about 10 km northwest of Brussels, Belgium, you walk, walk and walk again! It is currently the largest botanical garden in the world and at the end of the day you feel all those kilometers but they were worth it. Its history is quite ancient, it begins in 1796 when the Austrian government decided to create a botanical garden at the castle of Bouchout, in Meise. The main focus of the garden was to grow medicinal and food plants. Over the following centuries, the botanical garden developed considerably, also thanks to the collaboration with the University of Louvain, until it became the National Botanical Garden of Belgium. Today it covers an area of 92 hectares and is home to over 18,000 plant species from all over the world, many of which are kept in the garden's greenhouses. In addition, the garden carries out important biodiversity research and conservation activities, working in collaboration with other botanical institutions around the world. Rododendron Fortunei and Rododendron Gladis rose Entering the forest, the first enchantment is in front of the vast collection of azaleas and rhododendrons located in the shade of centuries-old specimen trees. This collection has ancient origins and is one of the most important in Europe, including many rare and endangered species from all over the world. The first azalea was planted at the Botanical Garden in 1796, but the real expansion of the collection took place under the direction of Édouard Morren, from 1869 to 1892, who made many botanical expeditions to Asia, Africa and America, where he collected numerous azalea and rhododendron plants. In addition, Morren was a pioneer in the creation of azalea hybrids, achieving results that earned him numerous prizes at international botanical fairs. Today, this collection comprises more than 2,500 species and varieties of azaleas and rhododendrons. During flowering, which usually takes place between April and May, there is this explosion of colours in various shades of pink, red, purple and white. A true visual experience. the Botanical Garden also organised an annual azalea festival, during which guided tours, lectures and other activities focusing on azaleas and rhododendrons are organised. Azaleas and rhododendrons The scientific name of the genus of azaleas, Rhododendron, was given only in 1753 by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, who classified the plants in detail in his "Species Plantarum". The name "azalea" instead, derives from the Greek "azaleos", which means "dry", and refers to the ability of plants to tolerate dry soils. Azaleas and rhododendrons, even if they are plants belonging to the same botanical family, that of the Ericaceae, have many differences between them such as flowering: azaleas have funnel-shaped flowers with five lobes, while rhododendrons have bell-shaped flowers with ten lobes. As for the leaves, those of azaleas are generally smaller and thinner than those of rhododendrons. Additionally, azalea leaves tend to be softer and lighter. Even the natural habitats are different: that of the azaleas are usually native to wooded areas of the temperate and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe and North America, while the rhododendrons are more common in the mountainous regions of East Asia, North America and Europe. The difference is also in the size; rhododendrons tend to be larger and slower growing than azaleas. The winter greenhouse The Meise Botanical Garden is also home to a large collection of trees from around the world, many of which are of significant rarity, beauty or cultural significance. Like the Giant Sequoia trees native to California which are among the largest trees in the world. Ginkgo biloba is an ancient tree that has been described as a living fossil and has a long history of medicinal use. The Atlas Cedar is a tree native to North Africa that is known for its resistance to drought and environmental degradation. And the Wollemi Pine a tree that was discovered only in 1994 and was believed to be extinct for over 90 million years. Egyptian Geese The current greenhouse, also known as the "winter greenhouse", was built between 1952 and 1958. It was an innovative structure and had to replace the old greenhouse destroyed by the war, with a heating system based on geothermal energy and a natural ventilation system which allowed the humidity to be controlled inside the greenhouse. The winter greenhouse now houses a large collection of tropical and subtropical plants, including many rare and endangered species, including many species of Araceae, such as Colocasia gigantea. In addition to the winter greenhouse, the Meise Botanical Garden also houses other specialized greenhouses, including greenhouses for carnivorous plants, orchids and palms. Walking through the vast garden you can also reach an artificial lake, an important breeding and rest area for numerous species of migratory birds such as the Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptica), originally from sub-Saharan Africa. This goose is a large bird, its wingspan is up to one and a half meters. They have a distinctive black head and neck, grayish-brown plumage on the body and a white tail and live happily in large groups often near fresh water like here, and are beautiful to look at. GALLERY Photos ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: Official website Other GARDENS and PARKS Giardino di Villandry Giardini di Villandry Giardini Botanici di Villa Taranto Giardini Botanici di Villa Taranto I giardini di Villa Melzi I giardini di Villa Melzi Parco giardini di Sicurtà Parco giardini di Sicurtà Gairdino di Villa Lante Villa Lante parco del Flauto Magico Parco Flauto Magico Bomarzo Parco Villa la Grange

In the very large lawn of Villa Pisani, owner Mariella Bolognesi Scalabrin ten years ago decided to create an impressionist painting with more than a hundred thousand tulips and wild spring flowers in honour of the history and emotions shared and experienced by the previous owner Countess Evelina van Millingen Pisani. BOTANY VILLA PISANI THE IMPRESSIONIST MEADOW Photos Cristina Archinto Text Carla DeAgostini I n the huge lawn of Villa Pisani the owner Mariella Bolognesi Scalabrin decided ten years ago to create an “impressionist painting” with more than one hundred thousand tulips and wild spring flowers in honour of the history and emotions shared and experienced by the previous owner Countess Evelina van Millingen Pisani. So in orther to maintain this marvellous work, every year Mariella Scalabrin plants forty thousand new bulbs, which she lays and covers with soil with her own hands, all in studied positions, combining the superb refinement of the tulip with the humble beauty of the spring wild flower. This work is meticulously thought out each year, the choice of bulbs is in relation to the height and different blooming of the wild flowers, such as dandelion, buttercup or iris, he chooses the colour of the tulip, and alternates early, medium or late bloomers, so that the meadow remains colourful and homogeneous until the last dandelions bloom. Tulips and wild flowers relate to timing and size and Mariella Scalabrin follows everything personally: "it is by choosing from the catalogue that you create the piece of art," she told us. And she succeeds in doing so perfectly: two hectares of lawn with a path in between to admire the never trivial colours, and the always carefully studied gradations. No tulip calyx has only one colour, but plays on the streaks, the qualities of yellows, the nuances of whites, the red or orange mottling, or even the pink or purple hues. The colourful vision of tulips in more than 90 colours gives unexpected emotions and tells of the magic of a meadow cultivated by hand with hard work and the love of an owner, without the rigidity of a machine imposing its own design on the soil. Mariella Scalabrin is very attached to the Villa and to the fascinating story of Evelina Pisani, and every time she welcomes a visitor to her garden, she never misses an opportunity to talk about it and to spread the love and respect for flowers that this place holds and enhances with every blooming. GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info:  Official site MORE ENVIRONMENT AND BOTANY Papaveri e api Vie cave opuntia fiorita Opuntia Alberi Caño Cristales Palmeti Palmeti Caldara di Manziana Terra scoscesa

A winter photography trip to the Upper Engadine, amidst forests and singing frozen lakes, with tips and tricks for taking beautiful photographs in the snow and in the mountains. PHOTOGRAPHIC DIARY Winter Landscape in Engadine Text e photographs by Cristina Archinto D riven by the desire to change my visual horizon, I found myself in the high mountains in a wonderful place so loved by both the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and the painter Giovanni Segantini who often portrayed his landscapes; the Upper Engadin valley. The striking high snow-capped mountains laying below they are covered by dense dark woods of pines and stone pines, which contrast with a vast flat area with its white frozen lakes. After a day spent on the tops of the mountains where the landscape was breathtaking but very "postcard" and perhaps not very intriguing, I opted for the plain. First a walk in the neighboring woods and the day after a fascinating walk on Lake Sils, to discover its ice, its crevices but also its songs. Yes, because I discovered that the frozen body of water sings, emitting cracks and harmonies that almost recall the song of whales, a phenomenon that occurs only in certain moments when the expansion and contraction of the ice occurs due to changes in temperature . Definitely intriguing but also a little scary especially when you find yourself in the middle of the lake. In general, even if it is stimulating, it is not easy to photograph the snow, first of all you have to pay attention to the exposure meter, which, struck by the intense light reflecting on the snow, will push you to take darker pictures. Autofocus is also not happy when trying to focus when aimed at a very white surface. Also you have to be careful with the shot, it is not trivial to photograph the white expanses without flattening the whole landscape. Photo notes The snowy woods are wonderful , they are silent, very silent. In this case, given the scarcity of snow, there were also pine needles which, lying on the white mantle, create an interesting texture. I tried to capture that silence and contrast. An interesting part of photographing a snowy landscape is that the colors decrease significantly but the hues increase. In this case, after removing the black and white, we end up with only greens and browns. With blurs you can create the depths of an image, in this case I put the young wild reed in focus with the snow around with the macro mode totally blurring the background. The reflections on the still waters are always my passion, in this case since the subject is the river and the reflection of the mountain covers only a small part of the frame, creates depth and the illusion that there is snow on the river, also here too the colors are two browns and blues. To tell the vastness of the frozen lake, my dog Cannella was propitious, as was the lady with the hat, making the photograph even more interesting. In this image I tell the power of the landscape , with the mountains and sinuous white streaks of snow that stands out in an intense blue resting on the vastness of the lake. Photographing ice is very difficult! Difficult to focus on it, find the right exposure and above all walk on it without ending up upside down with a camera! A good escape point and consequently depth is c offender with a nice fence or tracks in the snow. And that's what I mean when I suggest watching great artists to learn their framing! Giovanni Segantini, The death (Triptych of the Alps) 1897-99 Question: Why in this photograph, which I've transformed into black and white, does the snow looks like sand? GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Other GARDENS and PARKS Reggia di Venaria Reggia di Venaria Giardini Botanici di Villa Taranto Giardini Botanici di Villa Taranto I giardini di Villa Melzi I giardini di Villa Melzi Parco giardini di Sicurtà Parco giardini di Sicurtà Gairdino di Villa Lante Villa Lante parco del Flauto Magico Parco Flauto Magico Bomarzo

Terrimago edition realizes personalized photographic books on commission: unique publications, refined and cured in every detail to make your garden grow even outside its natural boundaries and make it known to the world. Terrimago projects FOR YOUR GARDEN Terrimago is specialized in the image of gardens and houses. With the photographs of Cristina Archinto Terrimago creates ad hoc editorial products to help promote gardens, parks, historic houses, accommodation facilities and wineries. Internet sites, books and merchandising are all rigorously refined and cared for in every detail to make your garden grow outside its natural boundaries . sites BOOKS gadget Terrimago is specialized in assisting gardens and homes. It promotes gardens, parks, historic houses, accommodation facilities and wineries through the creation of various editorial products. In order to make these entities known and appreciated, Terrimago realizes photographic shoots, websites, books, merchandising, all of which are rigorously refined and cared for in every detail. Garden photography Garden photography is a niche genre that requires thorough knowledge and profound love for nature’s beauty, as well as an in-depth botanical knowledge. Portraying a garden in the best possible way is much more difficult than one can imagine. Gardens change from day to day and from hour to hour, therefore the photographer needs to capture the perfect light and the most harmonious setting to properly enhance the garden and the plants. In order to transfer the natural environments’ vitality through photography, it is necessary to grasp the lights and the shadows, the colors and all the different shapes of the flora. The reward for all this hard work is the final creation of intense and memorable images that will best portray your garden forever. How we work The first step is a meeting in which the customer's needs are thoroughly analyzed. They may involve products for private use or more complete projects such as the development of merchandising for the start-up of bookshops. After a careful analysis of data and information, the customer is presented with various options and estimates. It should be noted that all the project proposals are tailored to each customer and will always be carried out in close contact with the customer. Merchandise The starting point are the pictures taken by the experienced professional photographer Cristina Archinto, who is able to reflect the emotions and singularity of a garden, a landscape or house interior in her original and unique images. Once the photo shoots are done, Terrimago elaborates photographic projects of various kinds, from simple but popular postcards, to leaflets in different formats or publications on a larger scale, such as books and volumes. To produce the more extensive publications, Terrimago edition, with the help of Livia Danese, works with renowned professionals such as writers, journalists and illustrators to capture and highlight every aspect of the beauty and the uniqueness of each garden, park or winery. The printing is mostly made in offset by professional typographers using state-of-the-art equipment. As for the establishment of bookshops for gardens and botanical gardens, Terrimago analyzes statistics regarding the flow of visitors to calculate the redemption, or the ratio between the number of visitors and the possible purchases made at the end of the visit. This analysis allows to design products for the bookshop that correspond to the emotional value of the visit; each object has its own importance because the more the experience in the gardens is engaging, the more the purchases in the shop should be targeted. Terrimago edition also designs websites for botanical institutions using innovative and user friendly site-builders, to enable the clients to be fully autonomous in the day to day management of the website. For further information or inquiries please write to us via contact form or live chat. Terrimago grow your own garden outside its natural boundaries

The Magic Flute Park in Santa Margherita Ligure is a playground for children inside Villa Carmagnola. It was conceived and realized in 1998 from the imagination of Emanuele Luzzati, in collaboration with the students of the scenography workshop of the Teatro della Tosse, on the notes of The Magic Flute, the last theatrical composition by Mozart. LIGURIA The Magic Flute Park in Santa Margherita Ligure by Carla De Agostini The Magic Flute Park in Santa Margherita Ligure is a playground for children inside Villa Carmagnola. It was conceived and realized in 1998 from the imagination of Emanuele Luzzati, in collaboration with the students of the scenography workshop of the Teatro Della Tosse, on the notes of The Magic Flute, the last theatrical composition by Mozart. The paths, the equipment and the objects allow the children to become part of the adventures of Tamino, the brave and somewhat "harlequin-like" prince, the protagonist of the opera who, helped by the faithful Papageno, fights the forces of evil to free the beloved princess Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night in ancient Egypt. On the one hand, the work of the Magic Flute can be retraced on the 23-meter-long surrounding wall, which, with paintings on ceramic tiles, tells the story to everyone. On the other amazing silhouettes and sculptures of the characters, now restored, help the children's creativity to invent their own adventures, jumping from one side to the other, immersed in the green and in their own dreams. Closed for a long time, the Park has reopened in 2021, to the happiness of young and old, thanks to the valuable teamwork between different realities, from the municipal administration to the various local cultural associations and not for years recognize the historical, public and social value. Emanuele Luzzati was born in Genoa in 1921 and died there in 2007. Capable of an essential and never predictable style, Luzzati will speak of himself as a capable craftsman, fascinated by all applied arts that comes to their realization in an eclectic and often self-taught way. In the interviews he will tell with simplicity that his way of understanding the work is a work under the sign of a lightness free from aesthetic codes. She spent her childhood in Genoa, but with the racial laws of 1938 she fled to Switzerland, where she came into contact with a reality that she would define as "truer", that of the Jewish world of Eastern Europe of which she would often remember the fruitful cultural exchange between people of very different origins, and in Lausanne he graduated from the Ecole des Beaux Arts. In his career he has created more than four hundred sets for prose, opera and dance in major Italian and foreign theaters, and has been defined as a painter, decorator, illustrator, set designer, ceramist, costume designer, film director and designer. In 1963 for The Magic Flute Luzzati will have a flash of genius that will revolutionize the concept of set design for opera and will consecrate him to the international world: the periatti, large rotating prisms consisting of painted panels with inside a person who moves them in time to the music, which create a fairy-tale atmosphere with dynamic background. In 1966 with the director Giancarlo Giannini receive the first Oscar nomination for the category of animated short film La Gazza ladra (1964), a second nomination will come with Pulcinella. The municipality of Genoa, with the Accademia Artigiana della Fantasia, celebrates him by opening at Palazzo Ducale Casa Luzzati, a place of exhibitions entirely dedicated to his figure, opening in March 2022 with "Luzzati. Posters and Editorial Graphics 1947 - 2007". In addition, the Lele Luzzati Foundation is born, welcoming the donation of works by the Luzzati Family of Israel. GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO LINK S TREE WATCHING Web more gardens and parks Giardino di Valeria Villa Ortensia Etna Botanic garden Parco del Paterno del Toscano Labirinto della Masone Villa d'Este Giardino di Kenroku-en Giardino dell'impossibile

Thanks to Gelasio Caetani’s foresight, today we can enjoy the beauty of an English garden amongst the nicest of Europe, which was nominated in the year 2000 as one of “Italy’s Natural Monuments”. In 1921, the Caetani family restored a number of ruins in the ancient medieval city of Ninfa, a few kilo LAZIO NINFA A MARVELOUS GARDEN Thanks to Gelasio Caetani’s foresight, today we can enjoy the beauty of an English garden amongst the nicest of Europe, which was nominated in the year 2000 as one of “Italy’s Natural Monuments”. In 1921, the Caetani family restored a number of ruins in the ancient medieval city of Ninfa, a few kilometres away from Cisterna di Latina. Among these renovations was a baronial palace which was transformed into the family’s summer estate, as well as a garden at the foot of Mount Lepini. At the same time, Ada Wilbraham, Gelasio Caetani’s mother, who was an expert botanist, planted the first cypresses, holm oaks, beech trees and rosettes, which she had collected throughout the course of her vast international travels. The most credit must be given to Marguerite Chapin, Roffredo Caetani’s wife, and to her daughter, Leila. Starting in the early thirties the two ladies transformed Ninfa into a beautiful English garden, and chose to emphasize its natural beauty. The only exception were areas in which flower beds were planted, the land they grew on was left, to some extend to itself, consenting to the natural growth and cycle of plants. The blessed southern exposure, south of Ninfa, which is protected from the winds by the Lepini Mountains, is ornate with numerous karst springs and crossed by the River Ninfa, which have allowed the growth of tropical plants such as the banana, the avocado and the manned gunner from South America. As one strolls through the medieval ruins, he or she may encounter thousands of diverse and rare species worthy of note, such as poplars, birches, pines, cypresses, cherry trees, Japanese maples, hornets, acanthuses, ornamental apple trees, roaring rose bushes, magnolias, irises, bamboo shoots, camellias and honeysuckles. The particular plant choice is purposeful in the sense that it allows for a year round flowering, and allows for a self-serving caring process. Macerated nettle, lime, propolis and a variety of insectivorous birds make the garden of Ninfa a small heaven on earth. One must visit it at least once in his or her lifetime. GALLERY Info: www.fondazionecaetani.org Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO MORE GARDENS AND PARKS Parco del Paterno del Toscano Villa Lante Labirinto della Masone Villa d'Este Giardino di Kenroku-en Giardino dell'impossibile Villa Pizzo Castello di Masino

One of the most evocative places in Paris is definitely the Bercy Park, whose web of paths, rails and water reflections cannot fail to fascinate. With its 13.5 hectares, in the 12th arrondissement, Bercy amazes passers-by with clues that tell of a place of contrasts. PARIS Parc de Bercy By CARLA DE AGOSTINI One of the most evocative and unexpected places in Paris is undoubtedly Bercy Park, whose web of paths, rails and reflections of water cannot fail to fascinate. With its 13.5 hectares in the 12th arrondissement, Bercy amazes passers-by with clues that tell of a place of contrasts. Although it was created between 1993 and 1997, it still retains much of its past: the vineyard, the kerbs and the rails bear witness to the site's industrial past. The contemporary design by architects B. Huet, M. Ferrand, J. Feugas, B. Leroy, frames a 19th-century garden, designed by landscape architects I. Le Caisne and P. R. Leroy. Le Caisne and P. Raguin. The area on which the Park stands has undergone many transformations. It was occupied by coppice woods until the 13th century, and from the 17th century until the Revolution it became a holiday resort along the river. During the process of industrialisation of the city, the site became one of the most important wine warehouses in Paris: the cellier du monde - the world's wine cellar. Its strategic location allowed it to be unaffected by customs but still be strategically positioned thanks to its trade route via the Seine with Burgundy. The park alternates between ponds and architectural works, green and wooded areas. Three main areas are clearly recognisable. Les Parterres, in the centre, consists of a chessboard of nine themed gardens, in homage to biodiversity, where various ateliers host frequent events dedicated to botany, organised by citizens or professionals. La Grande Prairie, to the west, consists of grass carpets crossed by avenues and dotted with trees and gazebos, where groups of young people often enjoy the beauty of the place. And finally, the Jardin Romantique, to the east, where you can admire oaks, birches, cherry trees, shrubs of all kinds, and, above all, the water features of the pond bordered by reeds and water lilies where you can meet ducks and herons. This last part of the park is very rich and elaborate. The amphitheatre recalling the ancient village of Bercy, the Pavillon du Lac, right in the middle of the pond, is home to exhibitions and temporary displays, as well as the Agence Parisienne du Climat de Paris, in charge of the city's energy transition. The helicoidal ramp leading to the Bélvèdere is the highest observation point from which you can admire a splendid panorama and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, otherwise accessible by the Simone de Beauvoir footbridge. With its 200 centenary trees, mostly plane trees, horse chestnuts and birches, the Jardin Romantique has a special bucolic charm, enriched by over 1,200 new species of shrubs and flowers. Among the willows and majestic oaks, it is a popular destination for Parisians who enjoy reading and going on interesting walks, immersed in a small natural paradise, protected from the hustle and bustle of greater Paris. Translation by Greta Arancia Sanna GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: Official website Highlights Male fern - Dryopteris filix-mas Ferns are the oldest plants on our planet and are estimated to have been present for 350 million years. Its scientific name Dryopteris derives from drys oak and pteris fern, as it is very common in shady chestnut and oak forests. Ferns have always been used as dyes because of their tannin content, and were also used to make mattresses and pillows, and their good smell kept fleas away. Ferns are also the subject of many legends and myths throughout Europe, one of which tells us that on the night of 23-24 June, the feast of St John the Baptist, the fern produces a snow-white flower that has the power to make you invisible, like its seeds. Even Shakespeare was aware of this and quotes it in his Henry IV: 'We steal as if we were in an iron barrel, perfectly safe, we have the recipe for fern seeds, we walk invisible'. more gardens and parks Parco del Paterno del Toscano Villa Lante Labirinto della Masone Villa d'Este Giardino di Kenroku-en Giardino dell'impossibile Giardino di Ninfa Villa Pizzo

The Kenroku-en "Garden of Six Attributes" or "Garden of Six Sublimity" is an ancient private garden in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. It is considered one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan. The large garden-park, located near the entrance to Kanazawa Castle, is famous f JAPAN KANAZAWA Kenroku-en Garden The Kenroku-en "Garden of Six Attributes" or "Garden of Six Sublimity" is an ancient private garden in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. It is considered one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan. The large garden-park, located near the entrance to Kanazawa Castle, is famous for offering its visitors beautiful views in all seasons. Its construction can be traced back to the beginning of the 17th century by the Maeda clan, which ruled the Kaga fiefdom, but it is not easy to give an exact date of its origin. According to some, it can be made to coincide with the construction of the Tatsumi Canal in 1632 by Maeda Toshitsune, the third head of the Maeda clan from 1605 to 1639. The canal was later incorporated into the winding artificial garden river in 1822. According to others, the garden was created thanks to the fifth daimyo of Kaga, Maeda Tsunanori (r. 1645-1723). He had the building called Renchi-ochin ("lotus pond pavilion") built in 1676 on the slope in front of Kanazawa Castle, and a surrounding garden, initially called Renchi-ochin "lotus pond garden". Little is known about the structure and characteristics of the Renchi-tei, due to a fire that destroyed it almost entirely in 1759. According to documents dating back to previous years, the garden was often visited by the local nobility, who organized banquets there to contemplate the moon and autumn leaves, and to admire the horses. There is a legend linked to the sacred Fountain of Kenroku-en, according to some the oldest element of the garden remained until today: 1,200 years ago, a farmer named Tōgorō stopped at the Fountain to wash potatoes. Suddenly, fragments of gold began to rise to the surface of the water, which is why the city was called Kanazawa, "Golden Swamp. The water comes from the purification basin at the nearby Shinto shrine, and many people come to collect water for the tea ceremony at this fountain. The Shigure-tei, a tea house built in 1725 and miraculously survived the fire of 1759, seems to indicate not only the spread of this ritual in the period before the fire, but also the culture traditionally associated with it, which would have influenced the aesthetics of the garden. The Shigure-tei was also used after the fire and then completely restored during the Meiji period. Another element already present in the period before the fire of 1759 is the Kaiseki-tō pagoda, currently located on a small island in the central area of the Isago-ike pond. According to some sources it was erected by Maeda Toshitsune, third daimyo of Kaga, who lived between 1594 and 1658, and it is therefore possible that it predates the creation of the Renchi-tei garden. According to other sources, the pagoda was initially part of a 13-storey pagoda located in the Gyokusen-in garden of Kanazawa Castle, but a third source reports that it was brought from Korea by Katō Kiyomasa, returning from the military campaigns started at the behest of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, to whom it would be donated, who in turn would give it to Maeda Toshiie. If the theory is true, the pagoda arrived in the hands of the Maeda clan between 1592 and 1598, the years of Hideyoshi's attempts to conquer Korea and China. The above theories are not mutually exclusive, so it is possible that Maeda Toshiie received a 13-storey pagoda from Hideyoshi, placing it in the Gyokusen-in garden, and that subsequent daimyo would have moved to its current position, reducing the number of floors. In 1774, Maeda Harunaga, Kaga's eleventh daimyo, began restoration work on the garden, also building the Midori-taki ("Green Waterfall") and the Yūgao-tei, a tea house. Other improvements were made in 1822 when the twelfth daimyo Narinaga had the winding streams of the garden built with water from the Tatsumi canal. The thirteenth daimyo Nariyasu had more streams added and expanded Lake Kasumi, giving the garden its present shape. The garden was opened to the public on May 7, 1874. The name Kenroku-en was given to it by Matsudaira Sadanobu at Narinaga's request, and is a reference to the six attributes of the perfect landscape mentioned in the book Luòyáng míngyuán jì ("Chronicles of Famous Luoyang Gardens"), written by the Chinese poet Li Gefei. The six attributes are: spaciousness and intimacy, artifice and antiquity, waterways and landscapes. Info: www.pref.ishikawa.jp Photo © CRISTINA ARCHINTO

It was the year 1638 when the plague hit Amsterdam and medicinal plants represented the only known way to cure and prevent it. It was for this reason that in that same year was born the Hortus Medicus, a training place where doctors and pharmacists met to learn and share their botanical and medical knowledge, enriching the collection of medicinal plants. AMSTERDAM BOTANICAL GARDEN OF AMSTERDAM From Ortus Medicus to Ortus Botanicus Photos Cristina Archinto Text Carla DeAgostini I t was1638 when the plague hit Amsterdam and medicinal plants represented the only way to cure and prevent it. It was for this reason that in the same year was created the Hortus Medicus , a place where doctors and pharmacists met in order to learn and share their botanical and medical knowledge, always enriching the collection of medicinal plants. The first who catalogued the whole collection was, in 1646, the director of that year Snippendaal: it took him a whole year to count the 796 species of plants, and to write the catalog, but thanks to his hard work Carl Nilsson Linnaeus in 1753 succeeded in writing his fundamental work Species Plantarum . Meanwhile in 1682, thanks to the commercial contacts of the East India Company and to the help of collectors from the Netherlands, the Garden acquired many species, not only medicinal, but also greenhouse and ornamental, which transformed the old Hortus from Medicus to Botanicus, a new center of intense research and trade. Also in this period, the botanical illustrators Jan and Maria Moninckx were commissioned to document the new collection, and they created the Moninckx Atlas : not the usual herbarium with dried plants, but a catalog containing graphic reproductions of the most recent and exotic plants. The task, which ended in 1749, required the production of nine volumes, and involved other expert watercolorists Such as Johanna H. Herolt, daughter of Sibylla Merian, and Alida Withoos, daughter of Mathias Withoos, the painter of still life master of Gaspar Van Wittel. Even today the Moninckx Atlas is considered the main testimony of the extraordinary contribution of women to the birth of scientific drawing. Today, the Hortus Botanicus covers little more than one hectare but boasts an enormous variety of plant: there are about 4,000 species, including those grown outdoors and those housed in its seven greenhouses, just over 1% of the world's plant diversity and it is a place rich in history, where modern events of emancipation and cutting-edge studies are intertwined for their attention to both the past and the present. An example is the semi circular garden reorganized in Systemic Garden in 1863. The semicircle shape in fact represents the systematic classification of plants: species that are closely related are found growing near each other, while those that have little in common are grown far away. Currently, they are classified according to the Angiosperma Phylogeny Group (APG), among the most advanced technologies of "molecular systematics," based on similarities in genetic material. Here, if summer is a riot of blooms, winter lets the symmetrical lines of boxwood hedges emerge. A true masterpiece of modern architecture is the Three Climates Greenhouse, designed in 1993 by Zwarts & Jansma Architects, which brings together three different climatic environments: the subtropics, the desert and the tropics. A suspended walkway allows visitors to pass from one area to the another, each with its own temperature, humidity and air circulation. Walkers enjoy the view of the tangle of lianas and leaves, look closely at the tree canopy while catching a glimpse of the sky through the glass roof as they pass through dry scrub, jungle and desert. In the first one he comes across geraniums, agapanthus and gerberas, then reaches the humid subtropical climate where the protagonist is the abundance of water, and finally the desert section, where cacti and majestic succulents from faraway deserts stand out. Instead in the Palms Greenhouse you can admire, next to giant palms specimens, the famous 350-year-old Cyca Encephalartos altensteinii, purchased in 1850 by William III. The Hortus boasts the presence of 60 different species of cycads, protected and safeguarded also thanks to the collaboration with other gardens, through the exchange of pollen, seeds or young plants. Hundreds of tropical butterflies color the small Butterfly House, fluttering over an interesting collection of tropical plants linked to trade with the Americas, such as coffee, tea or chocolate. The Garden also specializes in South African, Australian and carnivorous plant families. The Hortus Botanicus of Amsterdam , with its history and collections, is now an internationally recognized historical, herbalist and scientific heritage, but it is also a pleasant stop to get lost in during a trip to the Dutch city par excellence GALLERY Info: Official website Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO FEATURED Illustrations by Maria Moninckx and Maria Sibylla Merian FEMALE BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONS: THE MONINCKX ATLAS The Moninckx Atlas is a collection of botanical images, containing watercolor and gouache reproductions of 425 exotic plants from Asia, South Africa and South America, planted in the Botanical Garden of Amsterdam. This collection, divided into nine books, takes its name from the two artists who contributed the most to its creation: Jan and Maria Moninckx. Maria Moninckx was born in The Hague around 1673, and was the daughter of an important painter, Johannes Moninckx, and Ariaentje Pieters, also an artist. Renowned in the field as a floral painter, for the Atlas performs 101 illustrations. The side by side, in addition to Jan Moninckx, two other women Johanna Herolt-Graff, daughter of Maria Sibylla Merian whose books are still considered masterpieces of painting and precursors of modern entomology, and Alida Withoos. Both botanical illustrators of the time, they are part of a discipline underestimated in the artistic field but of extreme importance in the scientific world, as an aid to the classification and study of plant morphology, since unlike herbals it provides a representation of both the shape and the details of the various species. In this case, botanical illustrators study closely not only plants and flowers but the life of insects themselves, often achieving important, as well as ignored, scientific results. For example, Maria Sibylla Merian between 1679 and 1683 printed The marvelous metamorphosis of caterpillars and their singular feeding on flowers , a work where she illustrates more than 176 animal species, from silkworms to butterflies, in every stage of development with as many species of flowers and plants on which the animal feeds. In fact, every table shows data about the times of metamorphosis, nutrition and life cycle of each one. Precisely because of this precision Merian is today considered the first entomologist in the history of science, a recognition that will be given only in the twentieth century, after centuries in the shadows, renowned only in expert circles of the sector. These illustrations therefore represent not only an essential tool for study, but also an emancipation from the prejudice according to which science, and therefore botany, was, and often still is, a male prerogative only. more botanical gardens and nurseries Orto botanico di Napoli Orto Botanico di Zurigo e la Serra Malgascia Giardino Botanico Nuova Gussonea Orto Botanico di Catania Orto Botanico di Ginevra Centro Botanico Moutan Orto Botanico di Palermo Roseto di Roma

One can associate the complexity of the world with the intricate shape of a labyrinth, which is a symbol of the perplexity and bewilderment experienced by men who face the unknown. A labyrinth is traditionally created to confuse and disorient, yet the Labirinto della Masone’s purpose is to distance itself as much as possible from the labyrinth-prison analogy. On the contrary it was created to amaze, surprise and welcome visitors. REGGIA EMILIA Labyrinth of Masone BY LIVIA DANESE In the province of Parma, near the small town of Fontanellato, is the largest labyrinth in the world. The Labirinto della Masone was founded by publisher and art collector Franco Maria Ricci. He and his friend and colleague Jorge Luis Borges fantasized about conceiving a garden with natural winding paths to ideally represent the uncertainties of each man's life. One can associate the complexity of the world with the intricate shape of a labyrinth, which is a symbol of the perplexity and bewilderment experienced by men who face the unknown. A labyrinth is traditionally created to confuse and disorient, yet the Labirinto della Masone’s purpose is to distance itself as much as possible from the labyrinth-prison analogy. On the contrary it was created to amaze, surprise and welcome visitors. Bamboo plants are the undisputed protagonists of the garden: they are light but extremely resistant and soar upwards to surprising heights. Bambusa species are symbolically linked with many values and virtues. In Eastern tradition they metaphorically represent the conscience of upright men who remain steadfast while facing adversities. Furthermore many legends associate bamboo with perseverance and patience: only after developing strong and healthy roots can the plant grow elegantly and abundantly. The Labyrinth is made up of more than 200 000 different species that grow vigorously towards the sky, forming a maze of seemingly indistinguishable paths and dead ends. One can stop in the shade of this evergreen plant along the way, internalizing the bamboo’s symbolic meanings which remind us of the importance of being flexible yet resistant, versatile and patient. Intricate plays of lights and shadows as well as alternating colours accompany the visitor along a winding, alienating path. It leads to an unusual pyramid-shaped chapel at the centre of the labyrinth, where wider and brighter spaces abruptly spread out. Here the visitor can finally find his bearings and is guided towards the end of the route. The Labirinto della Masone is a place to visit at least once in a lifetime, not only for the site itself but also for the surrounding countryside. This genuine, real and anachronistic scenery was in fact much loved by photographer Luigi Ghirri. Livia Danese GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: Official website more botanical gardens and nurseries Parco Paterno del Toscano Orto Botanico di Ginevra Orto Botanico di Ginevra Centro Botanico Moutan Orto Botanico di Palermo Roseto di Roma Chicago Batanical Garden Giardino Esotico Pallanca