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 botanical green in Zurich is divided in two: on one side the botanical garden, on the other side the vast Malagasy greenhouse at the Zoo. Established in the 1970s and initially private, the Zurich Botanical Garden is now part of the Department of Natural Sciences at the University of Zurich. SWITZERLAND ZURICH BOTANICAL GARDEN AND THE MADAGASCAR'S GREENHOUSE By CARLA DE AGOSTINI Zurich's botanical areas are divided into two parts: on the one hand, the botanical garden and, on the other, the vast Madagascan greenhouse at the zoo. The former is situated on a hillock not far from the city centre and does not lose its charm even in winter. Established in the 1970s and initially private, the Zurich Botanical Garden is now part of the Department of Natural Sciences at the University of Zurich. The garden has three glasshouses that can be visited in half spheres with different climatic zones: the tropical mountain forest, the tropical dry wind area with a showcase dedicated to carnivorous plants and the tropical lowland rainforest, where the humidity is 90% and the temperature is around 26 °C in both summer and winter. The greenhouses, designed by Hans and Annemarie Hubacher, Peter Issler and Hansulrich Maurer, were completed in 1976 but have been renovated several times in Plexiglas because, over time, they had lost much of their transparency, creating harmful effects on plant growth. The main entrance is from Zollikerstrasse, and as you climb the stairs you can already admire the attention and care characteristic of the Mixed Border: a style developed in England at the end of the 19th century, which allows plants to be enhanced during every season. Annual flowers, perennials and small shrubs are selected so that something is always in bloom. In spring the geophytes stand out, and in winter there are grasses with faded inflorescences, which get covered in frost and are a very special attraction. The aim is a didactic one and the interest is to highlight planting as a harmonious and natural process. At Zurich Zoo , around 4,000 animals of 380 different species, with the oldest inhabitant being a giant Galapagos tortoise over 70 years old, are joined by more than 5.5 hectares of greenery with over a million species of plants from all over the world. The Madagascan greenhouse is 30 metres high and is made of EFTE "bladders" mounted on a metal structure, a material that simulates sunlight, insulates and allows the over 11,000 square metres of surface area to be covered in a light manner. Thanks to these cutting-edge, light-sensitive, highly insulating materials, since June 2003 it has been possible to immerse oneself in a dense tropical forest, populated by more than 20,000 plants and 45 species of tropical vertebrates, including animals left in the wild, such as lemurs. Here you can experience the Masoala forest, with temperatures ranging from 20° to 30° C and its very high humidity, with an average rainfall of 6 mm per day. This tropical rainfall is achieved through an interesting system of reusing rainwater, which allows an equivalent irrigation of 80,000 litres of water per day. The coexistence of fauna and flora is designed to help preserve the biodiversity of Madagascar's ecosystems. Through the Masoala project, the Zurich Zoo has decided to support the Malagasy government in the conservation and protection of one of the world's most endangered areas. Despite the fact that Madagascar represents only 1% of the earth's surface, it is one of the richest areas in terms of biodiversity, home to around 3% of the planet's animal and plant species. Unfortunately, at least 70% of the primary plant cover has been lost. Flora and fauna can also be appreciated from above, where aquatic plants, ferns, lianas, bamboo and animals can be admired. This focus is in line with one of the main tasks assumed by the garden for the 21st century: to promote and strengthen the relationship between vegetation and mankind, seeking to convey and enhance the increasingly evident interconnection between plants, the environment and health. GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: Official website more botanical gardens and nurseries Giardino Botanico Nuova Gussonea Orto Botanico di Catania Orto Botanico di Ginevra Centro Botanico Moutan Orto Botanico di Palermo Roseto di Roma Chicago Batanical Garden Parco Botanico Villa Rocca

Since the dawn of time, light has always fascinated man because it represents the supreme power to illuminate darkness. First, of course, it was fire that illuminated and defended man, then Edison brought light into homes with mass production of lamps and electricity, although he was not the actual inventor. At the Botanical Garden in Rome we have a taste of Light Art to see it in a new light. LAZIO ROME'S BOTANIC GARDEN Enchantment of lights Photos and text by Cristina Archinto Since dawn of time, light has always fascinated man because it represents the supreme power to light darkness. First, of course, it was fire that illuminated and defended man, then Edison brought light into homes with mass production of lamps and electricity, although he was not the actual inventor. Today we have somewhat lost the ability to 'see in the dark' and in the absence of daylight we are used to have everything illuminated, but despite this we continue to be attracted by its power and light sources manage to excite like few things in the world. By activating special cognitive abilities, light excites, impresses and generally creates well-being, perhaps also linked to that hidden primordial memory, and brings us to a sense of harmony with our surroundings. Moreover, if a light source, perhaps coloured, is also associated with a sound flow, such as a piece of music, an almost tactile sensation is evoked by 'feeling' the light. This is more or less what happens at the sensory art exhibition at the Botanical Garden of Rome Incanto di luci (Enchantment of light). A one and a half kilometre long light art path conceived by light designer Andreas Boehlke, with evocative music by composer and sound designer Burkhard Fincke; works that tell in an artistic way some corners of this wonderful place. The installations, with LED bulbs for minimal environmental impact, bring us a completely different botanical garden, we can really say in a different light. Trees and plants in sumptuous colours, meadows full of flashing lights or balls that light up in a thousand different shades of colours, stairways carpeted with fireflies or luminous silhouettes of reindeer grazing among the bushes, and more. Certainly for nature or the garden lovers itself everything gives a strange effect, seeing blue palms and green fountains or lawns covered in red lights is extravagant, but it must be said, in certain cases, these artistic works can also amplify certain flavours , as in the bamboo forest, where moving green rays 'cut' clean through, like samurai warrior blades, those marvellous trunks. In other cases, perhaps the enchantment is unnatural, such as the lotus blossoms lying on the pond in the Japanese Garden being unappreciative, but on the other hand the coloured lights all around make the beautiful maples stand out. Some luminescent works mainly enchant children like the tree fairies or Tinker Bell's wings, but in general one breathes mostly enthusiasm and amazement, and the amount of mobile phones one sees swirling in the air ready to spread this into the ether is proof of this. I must admit that I, too, had a lot of fun photographing a place that in theory I knew very well but which was completely turned upside down. Lights appearing and disappearing, changing colours, trees taking different shapes because they were perhaps lit from below and not from above, stimulated my creativity a lot. Of course, for what we can define as 'the culture of greenery and nature', I am not sure that all this will have a positive impact, but certainly the very high turnout gives hope that perhaps even some of them will remember this magical place next spring and return to enjoy it in its most natural aspect. Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO 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 place where Niki de Saint Phalle's monumental sculptures of rounded features and bright colours, unique in their kind, suck you into a fantasy world of psychedelic dreams, while maintaining complete harmony with a soft, typically Mediterranean landscape. TUSCANY IL GIARDINO DEI TAROCCHI The majestic works of Niki de Saint Phalle immersed in the Mediterranean landscape Photographs and text ©Cristina Archinto "La Papessa" It was 1974 when Niki de Saint Phalle, forced to undergo a period of convalescence in St. Moritz, met the art collector Marella Agnelli and wife of Gianni Agnelli. The two women immediately like each other and the artist tells her about the project that has been whirling in her head for a while now. Once back in Italy Marella, together with her brothers Carlo and Nicola Caracciolo, decide to make a lot of their land in Garavicchio, in Tuscany, available to her for the creation of Il Giardino dei Tarocchi, a perfect union between art, nature and spirituality. A place where monumental sculptures with round features and bright colors, unique in their kind, suck you into a fantastic world and psychedelic dreams, while maintaining complete harmony with a soft and typically Mediterranean landscape. The courtyard of the"L'imperatore" Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) was a celebrated American-born French artist, known for her artistic versatility across multiple media, including sculpture, painting, installation and performance. Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, of French-American parents, Niki spent part of her youth in the United States and her artistic career began in the 1950s, with paintings influenced by the Nouveau Réalisme art movement. However, over time she has become particularly famous for her monumental sculptural works. Saint Phalle's artistic practice in general is infused with symbolism, feminism and a bold and provocative approach. Many of his sculptural works represent vigorous and assertive female figures, often painted in bright and bold colours. Saint Phalle has used art as a tool for personal expression and as a means to address social issues, such as women's liberation and the denunciation of gender-based violence. The interior of "L'imperatrice" The fact remains that one of his most representative projects is certainly The Tarot Garden, a sculptural complex, where the different Arcana of the tarot are represented, a work of love and dedication, created with the help of Jean Tinguely and Doc Winsen, where the imposing and majestic statues seem to come to life. The mythological and mystical figures carved in stone and metal dominate the landscape with their enigmatic presence. Each card represents a unique and complex personality, conveying a sense of ancient wisdom and power. Starting with “The Magician”, as the artist calls him “The great juggler. The God who created the wonderful farce of this world in which we live” and the “Popess, the high priestess of female power”. These two works were built in 1980 together with the most iconic of the architecture-sculptures of this place the "Empress-Sphinx". Placed in a dominant position with respect to the rest of the park, this imposing and opulent figure recalls the Nanas, round and joyful female figures who embody a positive and powerful image of women, born starting from the 1960s. Just as Mondrian had transformed his Paris apartment into a gigantic painting, Niki lived inside the Empress for the entire time the garden was being built. Even today the furnishings are presented as an integral part of the enormous sculpture, a colorful apartment in which the shapes and colors blend with the surrounding environment of the Mediterranean scrub with trees and shrubs resistant to drought and high summer temperatures. "La forza" Plants such as juniper, mastic, phillyrea, helichrysum, cistus, laurel, heather, strawberry tree and alaterno are the frame for these giant works of art. There are also several specimens of olive trees, which, reflecting themselves thanks to the small mosaic-style reflective parts of the works, light up as if they were the real protagonists. Plants such as juniper, mastic, phillyrea, helichrysum, cistus, laurel, heather, arbutus and alaternus are the frame for these giant works of art. There are also several specimens of olive trees, which, reflecting themselves thanks to the small mosaic-style reflective parts of the works, light up as if they were the real protagonists. The mosaics that cover the figures were made with the trecadis technique which consists in the application of fragments of ceramic, glass and mirror, cut irregularly, fixed on white plaster. The purpose of this technique is to be able to create constructions resembling living creatures. An example of this is "La forza" where a tender girl dominates a fearsome green dragon, keeping it tied to an invisible leash, or "The devil" with its multicolored wings. "La'Imperatrice", the stairs of "Il mago" and "La luna" Discovering all the cards with the artist's exact wording is very interesting and opens the door to new awareness. Just like the thought that it took the artist more than twenty years to create this garden, in fact demonstrates how connected she was with this enormous work of hers and the personal commitment she invested in it. Also the presence of a local team of people, which the artist has formed and which continues to maintain the garden, testifies to his willingness to involve the local community a lot and to ensure that his work is preserved and cared for over time. "La temperanza" Niki de Saint Phalle is regarded as a highly influential figure in contemporary art and her work continues to be exhibited in leading museums and galleries around the world. His artistic legacy is characterized by his ability to transform personal pain into works of beauty and joy, inspiring generations of artists and art lovers and walking in his garden is a real path towards art in all its forms , a spiritual journey full of messages, which pushes you to reflections out of the ordinary, almost to the limit. GALLERY Photos ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: Official website Other GARDENS and PARKS Villa Marlia 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

The Berlin Botanical Garden with its 43 hectares 22,000 plant species, its 15 greenhouses and its educational museum is one of the largest gardens in the world and is a true botanical institution. GERMANY BERLIN BOTANICAL GARDEN The World in a Garden Photographs of Cristina Archinto Text Carla De Agostini and Noa Terracina T he Berlin Botanical Garden with its 43 hectares and 22,000 plant species is a botanical institution and one of the largest in the world. Founded in 1679 as a place for growing vegetables, it then moved to the Lichterfelde district and underwent a significant transformation into a landscape garden between 1897 and 1910 under the direction of Adolf Engler whose motto was 'the world in a garden' referring to plant geography. In fact, in one third of the entire outdoor area of the garden the plants are arranged in a phytogeographical order, i.e. by geographical area , so walking through this area is like walking around the world among the different endemic habitats corresponding to the various countries of the world, from forests to prairies and from the mountains of the United States to those of Asia. In the rock gardens, for example, the Appalachians of the Atlantic slope and the Californian Pacific mountains are represented. Then there is the Anatolian Plateau and then the Himalayas, where the vegetation of both the western slope characterised by long monsoon rains and the eastern slope with even wetter months and visible differences have been reproduced. Then we end in Japan, where Prunus , Magnolias, and various types of forest can be recognised, with for example Cryptomeria japonica and Sophora japonica . But there are other outdoor areas that are also very interesting, such as an arboretum, which groups trees according to their natural relationships, a specific garden that sharpens your sense of smell and touch with interesting common and uncommon aromatic plants, a medicinal plant garden with about 230 types of plants arranged according to areas of application for certain diseases, a small Italian garden, and also marshes and water gardens with 200 plants, some of which are endangered. Another very pleasant corner is the rose garden, which is very well maintained and has a remarkable collection of roses from all over the world . Finally, there is also the herbaceous plant zone, a research area that is also protected from visitors and contains some 80 endangered plants. But the real highlight is the huge Tropical Greenhouse, declared a World Heritage Site , which has been the symbol of the Botanical Garden for over a hundred years, a remarkable example of 19th century glass and steel architecture. Today, it is still one of the most impressive and largest free-standing greenhouses in the world, housing more than 1,400 plant species. Destroyed in the autumn of 1943 during the war, it was rebuilt a first time in the 1960s, but it is only thanks to the latest renovation in 2009 with technological materials that it has become a completely state-of-the-art facility, resulting in considerable energy savings, with peaks of up to 70% in the air-conditioning systems, which are crucial in the greenhouses. Divided into fourteen separate but all connected rooms, it has always been an enchantment for those who walk through it because of the overabundance of colourful plants and flowers of every type and species: from giant bamboos in the tropical greenhouse to ferns over 200 years old in the fern greenhouse to the orchid collection and carnivorous plants. Succulents from the tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World also have their own greenhouse, dominated by the candelabrum-shaped Euphorbia species and aloes with their large fleshy leaves. The neighbouring greenhouse, on the other hand, presents a landscape of New World succulents, where mainly overgrown cacti, but also species such as agaves and other Crassulacea e reside. The last arrival is the Victoria House, where in addition to the famous giant water lilies, such as the Victoria Amazonica , which with its imposing floating leaves can support a uniformly distributed weight of more than 100 kg, some species that, according to Frontiers Plants Biology, are endangered in certain parts of the world such as Bolivia due to the destruction of their habitat, are also studied here. Another place of excellence is the Botanical Museum added in 1905 to the Botanical Garden complex: unique of its kind in all of Central Europe, it preserves not only the precious heritage of the historic royal herbarium and the Berlin herbarium, but also studies focusing on the interactions of living organisms with soil chemistry, physics and hydrology. This approach was inherited from the research of Adolf Engler, famous for his approach to plant taxonomy, based on evolutionary schemes inspired by Charles Darwin, to which he added the importance of geographical distribution: the idea that plants adapt to climatic conditions, forming communities. In those years, the term biotope was soon to be used, i.e. minimum territorial units that allow the development of living organisms, plants and animals, with certain physical-chemical-climatic characteristics; a crucial concept for the development and knowledge of habitats, environmental climates and today's ecology. For this reason, a visit to the museum is dedicated not only to the ancestry of plants, types of vegetation and their different environments, but also to the influence of the environment and climatic conditions on plant morphology. The Berlin Botanical Garden is truly a crossroads of knowledge and biodiversity , a place of study and research, but also a place of hospitality for anyone who wants to stroll through it and breathe air from all over the world. There is no season that is not distinguished by its colours, scents, or scenery, and every excuse is good to drop by. FEATURED THE VICTORIA AMAZONICA The Victoria Amazonica is a name that conjures up those huge leaves floating on the water. But not everyone knows that it was the morphology of this unique water lily that inspired the Crystal Palace greenhouse at Kew in London in 1851, made of iron and glass. The idea starts from the strength of the leaf, whose ribs on the lower face, organised like a system of buttresses, can support up to 100 kg of evenly distributed weight. The rigid radially symmetrical centric leaves covered with strong spines are reinforced by several concentric and flexible ribs distributed in opposite directions, a morphological feature that recurs in the construction solution of the Crystal Palace. But the fascination of the Victorias does not stop there; their enormous flowers can reach up to 30 cm in diameter, and they only bloom for one day and two nights. On the first evening, at dusk, a large, thorn-covered bud opens and a white flower appears, which, thanks to a thermodynamic reaction, raises its internal temperature 11 degrees above the ambient temperature. This released heat and a pineapple-like scent attract beetles, which at dawn, when the flower closes, become trapped in it. But as they are not carnivorous plants, they do not die, but rather spend the day there feeding on the starch-rich floral appendages. On the second night the flower changes colour, and takes on shades of pink or red, and at dusk releases the insects, which, soaked in pollen, go on to fertilise another flower. At dawn on the second day, the flower withers, closes and dips, and it is there that the fruit ripens. Link Victoria Greenhouse GALLERY Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: Official website more botanical gardens and nurseries Orto botanico di Madrid Orto botanico di Amsterdam 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

In order to highlight the different aspects of the botanical universe and to exalt the most typical characteristics of the natural contexts, Terrimago edition produces photographic books with attention to every detail, also translated into several languages and enhanced by the work of expert typographers. Terrimago edition distributes the books in specialized bookshops and organizes book presentations during events in the field. Terrimago edition Terrimago edition creates detailed and refined photographic books, translated into multiple languages and enhanced by the work of expert typographers. Their aim is to highlight the different aspects of the botanical universe and enhance the most typical characteristics of natural environments. Terrimago edition also delivers its publications to specialized bookstores and organizes book presentations during botanical-related events. Furthermore, Terrimago edition develops co-production publications. After choosing interesting titles and themes, Terrimago edition reaches out to some of the most fascinating botanical environments, selected for their distinct qualities, and offers them the opportunity to collaborate in the creation of a specific publication. Terrimago edition takes care of all the necessary processes for the complete realization of a photographic book, starting from the attention and care given to the photographic shoots and throughout the editing, the printing and the distribution phases. Promotion is essential to the enhancement of a natural setting and to let each environment grow outside its natural borders. It is with this knowledge that Terrimago edition creates co-producted publications. They represent a unique opportunity for everyone to promote their gardens and botanical environments in the most advantageous way possible. Last works of Terrimago edition

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

Villa d’Este, a masterpiece of the Italian Garden, is included in the UNESCO world heritage list. With its impressive concentration of fountains, nymphs, grottoes, plays of water, and music, it constitutes a much-copied model for European gardens in the mannerist and baroque styles. LAZIO TIVOLI Villa d'Este Villa d’Este, masterpiece of the Italian Garden, is included in the UNESCO world heritage list. With its impressive concentration of fountains, nymphs, grottoes, plays of water, and music, it constitutes a much-copied model for European gardens in the mannerist and baroque styles. The garden is generally considered within the larger –and altogether extraordinary-- context of Tivoli itself: its landscape, art and history which includes the important ruins of ancient villas such as the Villa Adriana, as well as a zone rich in caves and waterfalls displaying the unending battle between water and stone. The imposing constructions and the series of terraces above terraces bring to mind the hanging gardens of Babylon, one of the wonders of the ancient world. The addition of water-- including an aqueduct tunneling beneath the city -- evokes the engineering skill of the Romans themselves. Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este, after the disappointment of a failed bid for the papacy, brought back to life here the splendor of the courts of Ferrara, Rome and Fontainebleau and revived the magnificence of Villa Adriana. Governor of Tivoli from 1550, he immediately nurtured the idea of realizing a garden in the hanging cliffs of the “Valle gaudente”, but it was only after 1560 that his architectural and iconographic program became clear—brainchild of the painter-architect-archeologist Pirro Ligorio and realized by court architect Alberto Galvani. The rooms of the Palace were decorated under the tutelage of the stars of the late Roman Mannerism, such as Livio Agresti, Federico Zuccari, Durante Alberti, Girolamo Muziano, Cesare Nebbia and Antonio Tempesta. The work was almost complete at the time of the Cardinal’s death (1572). From 1605 Cardinal Alessandro d'Este gave the go-ahead to a new progam of interventions not only to restore and repair the vegetation and the waterworks, but also to create a new series of innovations to the layout of the garden and the decorations of the fountains. Other works were carried out from 1660 – 70; these involved no less a figure than Gianlorenzo Bernini. In the XVIIIth century the lack of maintenance led to the decay of the complex, which was aggravated by the property’s passage to the House of Hapsburg. The garden was slowly abandoned, the water works-- no longer used--fell into ruin, and the collection of ancient statues— enlarged under Cardinal Ippolito, was disassembled and scattered. This state of decay continued without interruption until the middle of the XIXth century, when Gustav Adolf von Hohenlohe, who obtained in enfiteusi the villa from the Dukes of Modena in 1851, launched a series of works to pull the complex back from its state of ruin. Between 1867 and 1882 the Villa once again became a cultural point of reference, with the Cardinal frequently hosting the musician Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886), who composed Giochi d'acqua a Villa d'Este for piano while a guest here, and who in 1879 gave one of his final concerts. At the outbreak of the first world war the villa became a property of the Italian State, and during the 1920s it was restored and opened to the public. Another, radical restoration was carried out immediately after the Second World War to repair the damage caused by the bombing of 1944. Due to particularly unfavorable environmental conditions, the restorations have continued practically without interruption during the past twenty years (among these it is worth noting the recent cleaning of the Organ Fountain and also the “Birdsong.”) Gallery 1/1 Photo ©CRISTINA ARCHINTO Info: www.villadestetivoli.info more gardens and parks Parco del Paterno del Toscano Villa Lante Labirinto della Masone Giardino dell'impossibile Giardino di Ninfa Villa Pizzo Castello di Masino Parchi di Parigi