Bartolomeo Pallanca’s passion for horticulture matched, if not surpassed, that of his father who was an olive grower by trade. Both men worked for Winter, and in 1910 Bartolomeo Pallanca founded his very own “Stabilimento Orticolo Floreale” nursery. One part of the business specialized in ornamental LIGURIA BORDIGHERA Pallanca Exotic garden Bartolomeo Pallanca’s passion for horticulture matched, if not surpassed, that of his father who was an olive grower by trade. Both men worked for Winter, and in 1910 Bartolomeo Pallanca founded his very own “Stabilimento Orticolo Floreale” nursery. One part of the business specialized in ornamental plants and cut flowers, and the other in cacti and succulents, which were shipped to half of Europe’s botanical gardens. After the war, this became the core business for the nursery. Four generations dedicated their existence to the cultivation, acclimatization and flowering of succulent plants. Nowadays it is one of the most interesting collections for fans and scholars alike. More than 3,000 different varieties and specimens from all corners of the Earth are distributed by the area of origin and form a living map portraying nature’s infinite grace through which rock formations are colonized. Pallanca exotic garden Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: www.pallanca.it More botanical gardens and nurseries Orto Botanico di Ginevra Orto Botanico di Ginevra Centro Botanico Moutan Orto Botanico di Palermo Roma Roseto di Roma Parco Botanico Villa Rocca Water Nursery Giardino Botanico di Hanbury

Water Nursery Latina The Water Nursery, albeit being the most extensive Italian collection for wetland vegetation, is also an endeavour that narrates about the land’s history and through this itself sustains itself, transforming complex environmental conditions into botanical creations of amazing b UMBRIA THE LAVANDETO DI ASSISI Not only lavender Photographs by Cristina Archinto At Castelnuovo di Assisi, under the watchful gaze of the Basilica of St Francis, is the Lavadeto di Assisi a nursery, but not only that, it is also a garden and occasionally a place to celebrate spring in late April, lavender in July and sages in early October. THE NURSERY Lavender is undoubtedly the undisputed star of the nursery, but there are many other noteworthy plants that stand out especially at other times of the year, such as sage Greggii hot lips a beautiful fragrant perennial bush with deep red dots that flowers from April to May. Or the beautiful bushes of Pennisetum villosum a grass with a white blossom that flowers from August to October, or the mauve-coloured Verbena rigida bushes or the Sedum couticola bushes. THE GARDENS Not far from the nursery, immersed in the landscape between one field and another, are what are known as the Lavender Gardens, examples of different types of gardens with specific plants; low-maintenance perennials, or plants suitable for sun or dry soil, or plants to put in your own pond, to see in the field, how our future garden might turn out or how our purchases at the nursery will develop. Bushes of Pennisetum villosum , wonderful Stipa tenuissima that look like hair in the wind, the so-called pampas feathers or Cortaderia selloana and even water lilies with Hydrocotyles for ponds. You can also see the large flowering rosemary bushes that protect so many different aromatic plants from the wind, there are also beehives with bees preparing to spend the winter waiting for another spectacular flowering in spring. Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: Official website More botanic gardens and nurseries Vivai cuba Orto Botanico di Berlino Orto botanico di Madrid Orto botanico di Amsterdam Orto botanico di Napoli Giardino Botanico Nuova Gussonea Orto Botanico di Catania Orto Botanico di Ginevra

A book that tells the story and the landscape of this enchanted place. Eight gardens, eight different realities linked together by the lava flows of this majestic volcano. ​ SHOP BOOK GARDENS IN THE SHADE OF MOUNT ETNA by Cristina Archinto A book that tells the story and the landscape of this enchanted place. Eight gardens, eight different realities linked together by the lava flows of this majestic volcano. In the shadow of Etna, lichens and broom replenish the woods of the slopes crossed by the lava: it is nature that regenerates itself after each flow. Observing the vitality of these processes, the communities of Etna have learned to recognize their richness and ability to adapt. This is how the citrus scented landscape was born and a pioneering science of ecosystems developed: a culture of coexistence with the volcano that gardens have celebrated, acclimatizing specimens from all over the world alongside the local species. Cristina Archinto's photographs tell of the extraordinary adventure that involved the first herbalists and the botanists of the Catania Garden, the wisdom that unites enthusiasts of yesterday and today in continuous experimentation. Portraying the strength of centuries-old olive trees or the elegance of agaves, his shots take us to the most evocative places of seven Etna gardens; and showing the tenacity of opuntias or the poetry of eternal blooms, they reveal the range of greens and the play of light that only Sicily can offer. Alessandra Valentinelli Index ETNA Between nature, history and culture PARCO PATERNÒ DEL TOSCANO In the shadow of the volcano CIANCIO GARDEN In the green of the lava GRAVINA GARDEN The terrace on the Timpa ROOMS IN FLOWER The art of colour VILLA ORTENSIA The beautiful landscape of the citrus grove ETNA BOTANIC GARDEN Iddu CATANIA BOTANICAL GARDEN The Etna road of science FORM Title: GARDENS IN THE SHADOW OF MOUNT ETNA Author: Cristina Archinto Text: Alessandra Valentinelli Photographs: Cristina Archinto Translation: Stefania Bellingardi Beale Text: Italian and English Illustrated book with 80 photographs Format 24 x 23cm Number of pages 108, Soft cover Paperback packaging Cost €26.00 ONLINE PURCHASE DISCOUNT €23.00 BUY ONLINE

Jardin de la Paix, a small garden opened to the public in 2003, is dedicated to the victims of the August attack that shook the UN in Baghdad, where Sergio Vieira de Mello, a Brazilian UN international official, also lost his life GENEVA THE PACE GARDEN Photo © CRISTINA ARCHINTO S trolling around Geneva, in the Petit Saconnex area, you may come across the Jardin de la Paix a small garden but definitely living up to its name. Opened to the public in 2003, it is dedicated to the victims of the attack in August of that year that shook the UN in Baghdad, including Sergio Vieira de Mello, a Brazilian UN international official. In the centre is a small lawn and bordered on both the north and south sides by neat flowerbeds with different varieties of flowers such as Kniphofia, Hemerocallis, Crocosmias, Rudbeckia, Impatiens , roses and graminaceous plants. To the east side, on the other hand, there is a vine pergola reminiscent of the awnings of yesteryear and housing a few benches that allow one to take advantage of the coolness, especially in this season. On the opposite side one can enjoy a small stretch of water, often frequented by frogs, fish and herons and covered with water lilies. The reflections in the water, the little bridge and the flora are as impressionist-inspired as the colours of the various flowers, which fade from cooler near the water area to warmer as you approach the sunny walls opposite. The small greenhouse is pretty, with some succulent plants at the entrance and more tropical plants in the central part. Needless to say, the garden is well maintained and is a little gem where calm and beauty reign. Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Other GARDENS and PARKS Villa Pergola Villa Pergola Villa Melzi Villa Melzi Parco Sigurtà Parco Sigurtà Parco Flauto Magico Parco Flauto Magico Villa Lante Villa Lante Bomarzo Parco Villa la Grange Labirinto della Masone

On the border between Veneto and Lombardy, in Valeggio sul Mincio, the 60 hectares of the Parco Giardino Sigurtà were colored thanks to Tulipanomania, the richest flowering of tulips in Italy, the second-largest in Europe, for the presence of over a million bulbs. VENETO SIGURTÀ GARDEN PARK The enchantment of tulips from ancient Persia to the Mincio Valleys Photographs Cristina Archinto Text Carla De Agostini D espite the cold weather at the end of March, the tulips in the Sigurtà Garden have sprouted! On the border between Veneto and Lombardy, in Valeggio sul Mincio, the 60 hectares of the Park have become colourful thanks to Tulipanomania, the richest tulip flowering in Italy, the second richest in Europe, with over a million bulbs. The route of about 10 km along porphyry paths enchants the visitor among fairy-tale glades and monuments in memory of the Sigurtà family. Punctuated by sweeping views of the Mincio, the itinerary crosses small bridges, sheets of water, reaches the flowerbeds of the Great Grassland Carpet and the floating, rotating islands in the Laghetti Fioriti. Every corner is a surprise, not only for the tulips but also for the daffodils, mosses, hyacinths and fritillaries. The arrangement of the flowers is the result of an in-depth study that guarantees perfect colour, with hundreds of multicoloured shades. And spring after spring, the flowerbeds are renewed, always offering new spectacles. The property, first owned by the Contarini family, then by the Maffei family, was purchased in 1941 by Giuseppe Carlo Sigurtà, who opened it to the public in 1978. The area soon became a nature park and in 2019 the Sigurtà Gardens were awarded by the World Tulip Society for excellence in promoting and celebrating the tulip. Today Tulipanomania is a real festival that exalts its beauty. The history of the tulip starts in the East: from the Persian delband, which means headdress or turban. The first cultivations took place in Turkey where it became very popular in the 16th century. During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, numerous varieties were developed and exported from his court to Vienna, then to Holland and England. The choice of the name Tulipanomania recalls the Tulip Fever that broke out in Holland in the first half of the 17th century. In those years the demand for tulips reached such a peak that every single bulb fetched incredible prices: in 1623 some bulbs cost as much as a thousand Dutch guilders. Considering that the average annual income at the time was 150 guilders, bulbs became an asset to invest in, exchanged for land, livestock or houses. In 1630, to meet the demands of the market, there were more than 140 different species of tulips registered in Holland alone: single-colour hybrids, multi-coloured with streaks, strokes or flaming leaves, all competing to create the most beautiful and rare tulip. The record price was set for the most famous bulb, the Semper Augustus, which sold in Haarlem for 6,000 guilders. In 1636 they became Holland's fourth most important export, but by the end of that year the 'Tulip Bubble' had reached its peak and burst, sending many people broke. The fever resumed in England in 1800, where the price of a single bulb reached fifteen guineas, a sum that was enough to ensure a worker and his family food, clothing and shelter for at least six months. But no other country in Europe matched the level of tulip mania of the Dutch. Today's Tulipanomania at the Sigurtà Garden has the theme of the ecological garden at heart; awarded the European Award for Ecological Gardening, the Park raises public awareness by promoting visits on foot, by bicycle, in an electric golf-cart or in a little retro train that follows the Itinerary of Enchantments with a multilingual guide. The creation of the Labyrinth, inaugurated in 2011 on an area formerly used as a car park, is along the same lines of thought. One thousand five hundred yew trees grow there, more than two metres tall, creating natural geometries on a rectangular area of 2,500 square metres. From the tower at the centre of the Labyrinth, you can admire the Great Oak, which has stood for over four centuries. At the end of the visit, you will have the feeling that you have not seen everything. The great variety of places will be the perfect excuse to return and discover the Garden, in search of new colours and blooms at new times of the year. THE TULIP IN HISTORY "Art could not feign a simpler grace, nor nature form a more beautiful line" wrote James Montgomery, a Scottish poet, at the end of the 18th century. Tulips, a bulbous species belonging to the Liliaceae family, were first mentioned in Western Europe around 1554 under the name tulipa, from the Latin genus, or tulipant. The word probably derives from the Persian دلبند delband 'turban' because of its similarity to the flower. One of the oldest tales dates back to ancient Persia: the young prince Farhad learns that Shirin, his great love, has been murdered. Overcome with grief, he throws himself off a cliff. In reality, it is a jealous rival who has spread this false rumour to hinder their relationship. So to symbolise eternal love and sacrifice, tradition has it that where the young prince's blood has dripped, tulips have grown. Even today in Iran, where the tulip is a national symbol of martyrdom, also used as a symbol in the 1979 Islamic revolution, it commemorates the martyrs who died in the battle of Karbala in 680 AD. The vicissitudes of this flower are varied and reach as far as Europe, in Holland to be precise, where in 1636 demand for tulip bulbs grew to such an extent that people began to invest in them on the stock exchange. Newspapers of the time, for example, reported the story of a brewer from Utrecht who traded his brewery for just three tulip bulbs. Flowers became jewellery for ladies, enriching their intrinsic meaning: giving a tulip as a gift can mean unconditional and perfect love, or it can be used to toast the achievement of a goal, it can allude to vanity, or reflect the philosophical attitude and transience of life. It is not by chance that we find a tulip vase next to Seneca's bust in the painting The Four Philosophers by Flemish artist Pieter Paul Rubens, recalling the disappearance of the two characters in the centre of the painting, so dear to the painter. GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO LINK Official website More Gardens and Parks Gairdino di Villa Lante Villa Lante parco del Flauto Magico Parco Flauto Magico Bomarzo Parco Villa la Grange Labirinto della Masone Giardino di Kenroku-en Giardino dell'impossibile Giardino di Ninfa

Opuntia ficus-Indica, better known as prickly pear, is a succulent plant belonging to the family of Cactaceae and it is xerophilous, that is living preferably in arid environments, where it can also reach 5 meters of height. The plant does not have a main trunk, its stems are cladodes, commonly known as paddles, which take care of photosynthesis, whereas its leaves with time have evolved into thorns. BOTANY OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA By CARLA DE AGOSTINI Opuntia ficus-indica , better known as prickly pear, is a succulent plant, with thick and fleshy leaves, belonging to the family of Cactaceae and it is xerophilous, that is living preferably in arid environments, where it can also reach 5 meters of height. The plant does not have a main trunk, its stems are cladodes, commonly known as paddles, which take care of photosynthesis, whereas its leaves with time have evolved into thorns. Its great ability to adapt in unfavorable environments is also due to its unique photosynthesis that limits water loss. This photosynthetic pathway, called Crassulaceae Acid Metabolism or CAM, separates the processes of assimilation and fixation of CO2 over time. CAM plants, in fact, open their stomata at night and not during the day to absorb carbon dioxide. This happens because at night temperatures are lower and the plant loses less water than it would during the day, when it closes its stomata and converts energy into simple sugars. This type of photosynthesis increases the ability of succulent plants to maintain water balance, which is why most CAM plants occupy arid or saline environments, and in general all those in which water availability is periodically low. The origin of the epithet Opuntia ficus-indica has been debated: according to someone it derives from an ancient region of Greece, Locris Opuntia and from its capital city Opunte, near which the writings of Pliny the Elder reported about a plant with tasty fruits rooting from the branches. With time, however it has been confirmed the plant is native to Mexico and the botanical name is therefore due to the morphological similarity of its fruit with the Mediterranean fig and to its geographical origin, West Indies. According to a legend, at the time of Spanish conquerors, the emperor of Aztecs, Montezuma, used to receive as tribute from the subjugated states sacks full of grain. That is a cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) parasite of the cladodes of prickly pear, from whose dried body it is possible to extract the dye of carmine red, useful for dyeing ceramics, fabrics and architectures, of a tonality so intense never seen before. Its coloring power is in fact ten times stronger and more persistent than kermes, considered until then the best product for red dyeing, so much so that the Spaniards decided to keep the process hidden for almost two and a half centuries, creating a monopoly of cochineals grain, which became among the most demanded goods. Among the biggest buyers there were the English who particularly cared about the color of their uniforms, the famous red coats. Until 1777 finally a French doctor was able to discover the process. Once obtained the information the English exported to Australia the plant and its cochineals, in the hope of making plantations to make the grain, but despite the apparently perfect climate, the insects did not survive. On the contrary, prickly pears became infesting plants damaging pastures and territory: it is estimated that in 1920 they were spread on more than 30 million hectares, with a rate of conquest of half a million hectares per year! An enormous damage which still today is trying to be remedied by looking for solutions. In Europe the plant was introduced for the its fascination and in the sixteenth century it became an important protagonist of botanical gardens, both for reasons of scientific curiosity and for its ornamental vocation. Success was also confirmed by the frequency with which the plant is represented in drawings or figurative arts, such as the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, where Bernini put Opuntia in the background of the representation of the Rio de la Plata. Throughout the Mediterranean basin, its ability to adapt and propagate has facilitated its reproduction, especially on the Italian islands, where the prickly pear has acclimatized to become a characteristic feature of the landscape and is often used as a windbreak or fence for flocks. It has also proved to be an inexhaustible source of products and functions. The plant was immediately appreciated for the forage use of its cladodes and for its fruit, which can be eaten fresh or used to make juices, liqueurs, jellies, jams, sweeteners and much more. In Mexico, the young cladodes, known as nopalitos, are also eaten and used as fresh vegetables. Sicily has historically had the widest range of uses. It is in fact grown in inland areas, where the fruit is even called the 'bread of the poor', and in coastal areas, tending to be grown in fruit gardens for productive use and pleasure. The Sicilian peasant tradition is rich in prickly pear products, from its liqueur to mostaccioli (typical biscuits) and mustard. In 1891, René Bazin, a French writer of the late 19th century, wrote that "with twenty or so prickly pears... a Sicilian finds a way to have breakfast, lunch, dinner and sing in the interval". And it is from the Sicilian, and in part Sardinian, shovels that the prickly pear arrives and invades Eritrea, planted both by 19th century Italian missionaries and by migrants of the first Italian colonization. Here, the beles, the name in Eritrean, are not only the fruit but also the nickname jokingly given by peers from the Horn of Africa to second-generation Eritreans living in Italy, because they arrive with the same punctuality as the fruit: in the summer rainy season, and then leave again. Today, Opuntia ficus-indica is used for a wide variety of products, both for its high nutritional value, rich in minerals, especially calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C, and for its mucilage, the substance that allows the plant to have water reserves. Thanks to this, the prickly pear has become a major player in eco-sustainable innovations. For example, a Mexican professor of chemical engineering, Sandra Pascoe Ortiz, has patented a plastic and biodegradable material: by mixing prickly pear juice with glycerin, proteins and natural waxes, she has obtained a liquid which, after being laminated and dried, becomes a completely non-toxic, biodegradable and edible bioplastic. In Italy, too, alternative uses of prickly pears are proliferating. For example, a glue for fresco restoration work has been experimented with using mucilage, and a textile industry has obtained cruelty-free eco-leather from its waste. But that's not all, there are also sunglasses made from their fibers, furniture and sculptural lamps made from the waste from shovels that are entirely biodegradable at the end of their life! GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Link Giardino di Valeria Parco Paternò del Toscano Giardino Botanico di Pallanca Giardino Botanico Villa Rocca MORE ENVIRONMENT AND BOTANY Poppies and bees Vie cave Trees Caño Cristales Palmeti Palm trees Caldara di Manziana Steep land Tiber

Water Nursery Latina The Water Nursery, albeit being the most extensive Italian collection for wetland vegetation, is also an endeavour that narrates about the land’s history and through this itself sustains itself, transforming complex environmental conditions into botanical creations of amazing b LAZIO LATINA Where the Water Lilies grow The Water Nursery, albeit being the most extensive Italian collection for wetland vegetation, is also an endeavour that narrates about the land’s history and through this it self sustains itself, transforming complex environmental conditions into botanical creations of amazing beauty. From the passion of the owner, Mr Davide La Salvia a passion born over the years amid the marshlands of Agro Pontino, it then developed into what we have today, also thanks to his son Valerio. This collection comprises of over 1500 wetland and aquatic plants from all over the world. If on the one hand, the enterprise is run for commercial purposes - the nursery attends to important Italian botanical gardens - on the other hand, the passion underlying the whole project makes Water Nursery one of the most valuable research and experimentation locations for aquatic plants in Europe. If the cataloguing work - the compilation of an index plantarum of the species present is among the priorities - there is also the collaboration with universities and botanical gardens. Among the many cultivated rarities, there is the autochthonous Nymphaea alba , also known as European white water lily (now down to just a few specimens), the less common varieties of irises such as Pseudocorus flore pleno , bastardi, donau , berlin tiger variegato, or the spectacular irises from Louisiana, the Asian water lily Euryale Ferox with its big thorny leaves, the Victoria Cruziana with its typical rimmed leaves and large white flower, the Nymphaea Lotus (that blooms at night and was sacred to the Egyptians), or the lotus flowers such as Nelumbo Nucifera , sacred to the Asians. Water Nursery 1/3 Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: www.waternursery.it MORe botanical gardens and Nurseries Orto Botanico di Ginevra Centro Botanico Moutan Orto Botanico di Palermo Roseto di Roma Chicago Batanical Garden Giardino Esotico Pallanca Parco Botanico Villa Rocca Giardino Botanico di Hanbury

Terrimago the site of gardens for gardens, enhances and spreads the culture and knowledge of gardens, botanical gardens, parks and nature through photographic services and professional collaborations with owners. It also teaches how best to photograph them. Terrimago.com Passion for Nature photography Terrimago.com the webside for gardens and of the gardens Terrimago is a specialised structure created to enhance and disseminate knowledge of nature and botany and to promote gardens, parks, botanical gardens and historic houses through the production of photographic projects and publications that can be used free of charge. Terrimago Photos PHOTO SHOOTS New book In the section Terrimago photographs you can find, free of charge, articles and photographic services of gardens, botanical gardens and parks created with photographs byCristina Archinto and with texts by different authors. Stories of gardens, plants and characters, to tell this world from a different angle, more curious, historical and compelling. The latest photoshoot of gardens and botanical gardens alberi a Villa Borghese Parchi Orto Botanico di Madrid Orti Botanici Villa Pisani Giardini Garden of Villandry Gardens Meise Botanical Garden Botanical Gardens Royal Villa of Marlia Gardens Villa Marlia Giardini Orto Botanico di Meise Orti Botanici TUTTI I SERVIZI Terrimago On taking pictures To improve your shots Terrimago On taking pictures is a section of Terrimago that develops in a purely photographic field,with the help of Cristina Archinto gardens and landscapes photographer for many years. MORE newsletter

It is also thanks to the hard work of some Irish botanists who, since the late 1700s, have worked as botanical researchers studying local flowers and lichens that the Dublin Botanical Garden was born. DUBLIN Begonia in the Curvilinear Glasshouse DUBLIN BOTANICAL GARDEN Irish women discovering botany Photographs of Cristina Archinto Text Alessandra Valentinelli I reland is among the European countries with the scarcest flora. Centuries of grazing and agricultural activities have also depleted, and ultimately thwarted woodland growth. That vibrant green that is so enchanting is nonetheless a reflection of a rather articulated biodiversity. Grasslands area with The Great Palm House in the background The abundance of flora found in a simple meadow is unexpected: flowers, grasses, ferns, liverworts and lichens. At first it may seem less compelling than a jungle or an expedition to the Southern Seas, but perhaps it is precisely this “domestic” facet that allowed Irish women to be forerunners and to conquer an important role in the pantheon of botanical studies. At the end of the 1700s Ellen Hutchins , travelled around Cork County, classifying hundreds of still unidentified mosses . In the mid 1800s, Ann Elizabeth Ball was one of the most esteemed experts in Algae , and in 1833 Katharine Sophia Kane published the pioneering taxonomy of the Irish flora . She would be the first woman admitted to the Edinburgh Botanical Society. Rock Garden and Grasslands on natural limestone in the Wild native Ireland plants area It goes without saying that many women worked in the shadow of the more famous male colleagues. Ellen Hutchins never continued her own herbariums, and Lady Kane wrote under a pseudonym . Yet, when the academic interest shifted from the exotic to the endemic species, their studies turned out to be of utmost importance for the research and the knowledge of indigenous ecology, especially when identifying vulnerabilities and threats. Matilda Knowles, archivist at the Dublin Gardens from 1903 to 1933, would have to wait for over a century for the recognition of her works on lichen diversity based on the tidal patterns and the fundamental contribution it brought to the understanding of coastal environments. Asteraceae in the Annual Plants area In order to knot the threads of a memory so intimately intertwined with the resources of the land, Matthew Jebb, the present director of the Dublin Garden, has recreated entire habitats by transporting the rocks and the soil from their original environments . They show the natural evolution of the Irish ecosystems: the transition from reed marshlands to fens, where the rapidly growing plants flourish on top of the layer of decaying plants, rising above the water level. This explains the slow development of the tree-lined landscape, the century old formation of bogs, the discovery of fossil forests trapped under the layers of moss. Plants teach, through their frailty, that they belong to biological communities, highlighting the importance of hedges, ponds, corridors and expanses of green as a means for the protection of wild species. Plants reinstate the fragile balance and the endangered blooms and foreshadow a possible future. South Africa plants in the Curvilinear Glasshouse An open-air museum in its own right, Dublin has recently endorsed the renovation of its nineteenth century greenhouses: symbols of the union between aesthetics and engineering, achieved by the architectural use of iron and glass, and resulting in the technical progress. The “Curvilinear Range”, designed by Richard Turner , was completed in 1848; where the construction lasted five years despite the company in charge of the works going bankrupt. He also designed the Belfast Gardens, and worked in Kew Gardens. The structure has approximately 8,500 glass panes overlapping and honed around the edges to allow water drainage. The roof radiates out at nine specific angles, and the panes are mounted in twenty different combinations. The renovation was achieved by restoring the old wrought-iron decorations also from Kew Gardens. The “Curvilinear” assembled standard pieces, and glass panes were produced with a technique that was innovative at that time. As a whole it is unique. The “Great Palm House”, jokingly nicknamed the “Jungle House”, was made with prefabricated components. It was inaugurated in 1884 to replace the previous wooden structure, which was destroyed during a storm. The cast iron parts forged in Scotland made it possible to dismantle its parts, and restore the damaged ones by casting molds faithful to the originals. In 2004 these were reassembled, rust and corrosion free and protected by modern treatments. The Pond Matthew Jebb used to say, “Taking a walk is ideal for coming up with new ideas”. The Dublin Garden is open year round, except on Christmas Day. Admittance is free, and it is frequently visited by people of all ages . It is a place to share knowledge, outdoor activities and passions; a place to nourish the never-ending curiosity about the environment that surrounds us all, or guess the plant species, letting oneself be amazed, and maybe even contemplate the unexplored frontiers of biodiversity. Exploring nature’s vitality in its simplest form, or by means of the material principles of days gone by, is a tale narrated through the intricacy of its land. It begs the question of today’s climate change and the landscapes of tomorrow. Above all else, it offers a new way of relating to its changing structures, in harmony with cycles to which all beings are inextricably linked. FEATURED Women Irish Botanists Ellen Hutchins (1785–1815) Over 200 years ago, on the shores of West Cork, a young woman was avidly collecting, studying and identifying plants. Ellen Hutchins was Ireland's first female botanist although somewhat forgotten, but in the field of botany her contribution is widely known and appreciated. Born into a very poor family at the age of two, she was orphaned by her father, but it was thanks to the care and attention of Mr Stokes, an eminent Irish physician, and his wife that Ellen decided to devote herself to botany, dividing her time between researching plants in the open air, which greatly benefited her precarious health, and cataloguing her discoveries, producing several detailed and meticulous watercolour drawings. His ability to find new plants and the quality of his drawings and specimens aroused the admiration of the leading botanists of the time and his work was featured in many publications. Although he never published under his own name, he was an important contributor to the newly developing plant sciences of his time. In his lifetime, he catalogued more than a thousand plants including algae and lichens and discovered some of them under his own name such as Jubula hutchinsiae and Herberta hutchinsiae. Velvet horn fucus tormentosus from collection to publication Anne Elizabeth Ball (1808–1872) Unlike her predecessor Ellen Hutchins, Anne was born into a family already embedded in a world of science and nature, her brother Robert Ball being a naturalist and her father Bob Stawell Ball an astronomer. In her early twenties, Anne began collecting and studying seaweed and, despite not being a member of Dublin's scientific societies as a woman, established herself as a successful algologist. However, as was customary at the time, her work was published by male naturalists such as William Henry Harvey, a friend of her brother, who reciprocated by naming the genus Ballia and the species Cladophora balliana after her. Ball also helped provide William Thompson with illustrated records of hydroids, which were published in the fourth volume of The Natural History of Ireland in 1856. His collections were preserved and later acquired by the Dublin Botanic Gardens until 1961 when they passed to the Natural History Museum in London. A specimen of Ballia callitricha in one herbarium Katharine Sophia Kane (1811-1886) Also orphaned at a young age, she was raised by her uncle Matthias O'Kelly who had a strong attraction to nature, as did his son Joseph who became a geologist. Katherine was only 22 years old at the time of her first publication The Irish Flora and, although it was not a large work, it was one of the first of its kind, praised for its accuracy. In 1836, the then 25-year-old Katherine became the first woman to be elected a member of the Edinburgh Botanical Society and her herbarium is preserved at University College, Cork. During her life she also took an interest in tree cultivation, writing on the subject for the Irish Farmer's and Gardener's Magazine The title page of the 1833 volume The Irish Flora Matilda Knowles (1864- 1933) Matilda was encouraged from an early age by her father William James Knowles, also an amateur scientist, by taking her and her sister to meetings of the Belfast Naturalists. Her studies led to her being regarded as the founder of modern studies of the lichens of Ireland. In1895 she was the author, with Derry Mary Leebody, of The Flora of the North-east of Ireland and between 1897 and 1933 published over thirty scientific articles on a wide range of botanical subjects. It was while studying the lichens of Howth that he discovered how coastal lichens grow in distinct shores and are distinguished by their colour: black, orange and grey From 1923 he shared the curatorship of the National Museum of Ireland Herbarium, a collection of dried and pressed plants now housed in the Dublin Botanic Gardens. His work is said to have 'constituted an important basic contribution to the fungal botany of Ireland and western oceanic Europe'. Lichens collected by Matilde Knowles GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: Official website more botanical gardens Jardin des plantes Nantes Orto botanico di Berlino Orto botanico di Madrid Orto botanico di Amsterdam Orto botanico di Napoli Orto Botanico di Zurigo e la Serra Malgascia ARC_7320 Orto botanico di Ginevra L1030823 Orto botanico di Siena

Park La Grange in Geneva, site of historic political meetings, is appreciated in all seasons, particularly for its fragrant rose garden. GENEVA Park Villa la Grange by LIVIA DANESE Parc La Grange is the largest park in the city of Geneva. The 19th century English garden welcomes visitors and citizens who enjoy the park in every season by organizing picnics and walks in the well-kept natural environment. The Favre family donated the park to the city of Geneva in 1917 but overall the area has very ancient origins, as shown by the archaeological remains dating back to the Neolithic period. The territory’s history has spanned the centuries until the second half of the 18th century when the Lullin family commissioned the construction of their summer residence. The neoclassical structure of the villa is still visible today and has preserved beautifully over time. Because of its magnificence and its historical eminence, the place still hosts important events and diplomatic meetings today. The view of Lake Geneva, initially concealed by the main entrance, is soon revealed in all its splendor, enclosed by plants of every shape and color. The garden surrounding the villa is embellished by the presence of monumental trees, including oaks, cedars, beeches, chestnuts and plane trees, which stand out in the picturesque landscape offering a unique autumn display. Their foliage, gradually taking on the characteristic autumn colors, covers the park with a bright and colorful mantle. The park’s main attraction is the rose garden which counts more than 200 species. Starting from the first warm spring days it is particularly popular and appreciated. The scent of roses accompanies visitors and enthusiasts along a beautiful and intimate flowery walk in the octagonal garden, which was recently renovated. The latter, designed to recreate the privacy of a hortus conclusus, was built at the end of World War II to create a colorful, bright and positive environment in the postwar period. Parc La Grange is constituted by tree-lined avenues, ponds, colorful flowerbeds and beautiful historical buildings, offering visitors a charming and beloved natural oasis overlooking Lake Geneva. In addition in Parc La Grange, biodiversity is encouraged by wood-digging insect breeding sites and bee hives, as well as native shrubs and meadows where sheep graze during the summer and is ecologically managed without the use of chemicals. GALLERY Load More Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO LINK S TREE WATCHING Web more gardens and parks Parco del Paterno del Toscano Labirinto della Masone Villa d'Este Giardino di Kenroku-en Giardino dell'impossibile Giardino di Ninfa Villa Pizzo