Italy: More than 23,000 visitors at Orticolario

Orticolario proved to be a cherished and appreciated event among gardening enthusiasts with more than 23,000 visitors.

Moritz Mantero, president of Orticolario, stated: ”With this eighth edition, Orticolario proved to be an International event, not just for the presence of foreign exhibitors and nursery farmers, but also for the increasing amount of foreign visitors from France, Switzerland and England. Not to mention, this year the winner of “La Foglia d’Oro del Lago di Como” is Satoru Tabata (Enzo): Japanese designer of the exhibition “Vedere con le orecchie, ascoltare con gli occhi” along with Spazio Floema. Even the Spanish landscape designer Fernando Caruncho, winner of the award “Per un giardinaggio evoluto”, has been fascinated by Orticolario. Clearly Orticolario is able to induce great emotions, fusing passion for nature with art and design within a setting made of beauty and elegance”.

Visitors had the possibility during the past three days of the event, from 30th September to 2nd October, to discover 250 exhibitors and their “stories beyond leafs”; to admire inside Villa Erba Garden flowerbeds of more than 20 varieties of anemone, flower of the wind and protagonist of this year's edition; to experience the eight creative spaces selected during the international contest; to be intrigued by art pieces and exhibitions created by artists and designers; to listen to tales and advice of writers, researchers, gardening experts. Even children had the chance to experience nature while having fun through the many workshops designed just for them.



For the first time on show, “Smeralda Green Show”, the “green” rose without thorns has been presented during the event and created by Twelve Energy, an Italian-Indian society that had built the world biggest site of photovoltaic greenhouses in Villasor, Sardinia. The “Smeralda Green Show” has a peculiar appearance, green and lush without thorns; nurtured in the soil, can reach three-metres height and grows a centimeter per day after stems cutting. The innovation of Smeralda Green Show consists in its decorative branches (which come from Corallo Eretta™ - Patfru variety) without thorns and are very flexible, permitting manipulation of them easily.

Awards
On 30th September the awards were presented that international Committees assigned to those installations proposed by this year's event exhibitors and considered to be the best.

Technical Committee evaluated variety as well as rarity of arboreal specimens of the collection, attention to research and detail proposed by nursery farmers.

The “Collection Award” went to Azienda Agricola Zanelli Mauro & C (Montichiari - BS) for the impressive show of more than 35 varieties of Japanese anemones (hybrids of Anemone japonica) complete of explanation sheets.

Special mentions went to: Pépiniere Figoli for the selection of fig seeds (Ficus carica) collected in the Mediterranean basin and Vivai Tara for the 30 and more varieties of pomegranate (Punica gratum) with fruits of different shapes, colours and taste.

The “Research Award” went to Donne di Piante for the passion and commitment into exposing non-invasive and unusual species of bushes like Buddleja.

Special mentions went to: Vivai Piante Omezzolli for the interesting selection of table grapes and Associazione Vivai for the wide selection of unknown trees and bushes.

The “Rarity Award” went to Geel Floricoltura for the rare specimen of Moringa oleifera with its numerous uses, especially as edible plant for human and animals.

Special mentions went to: Riboni Alfredo Floricoltura for the orchid Mexipediumxerophyticum as botanical rarity and Florservice “Cactus Lago Maggiore” for its notable specimen of Euphorbia multifolia.

The Aesthetical Committee evaluated staging of spaces, as well as lighting solutions, awarding the best set-up.

The “Best set-up Award” went to the landscape designer Alexandre Thomas (France) for his project of a garden harmonizing bushes and herbaceous leaf plants with refined elegance.

Special mentions went to: Minari Buxus (Parma) for the setup of a formal topiary garden of Carpinus and Buxus on different tones of green, the Italian magazine Dove (Milan) for being able to recreate inside the idea of an enclosed garden inviting the visitor to enter and experience resting moments, the installation Sofia by Francesco Mazzola | iFlame (Capriate San Gervasio – Bg) for its exciting sculptural impact.

The “Best products set-up Award”, for the best exhibition space non-nursery farmer, a simple but effective and harmonious disposition of products on show went to “All’Origine” (Imola – Bo), together with the landscape designer Silvia Ghirelli, for the poetic setting within a fairy wood able to enhance products and vintage elements.

Special mentions went to: Shitmuseum (Gragnano Trebbiese) for the collection of vases and furnishing made of Merdacotta®,hand-crafted, paying particular attention to detail and sustainability, Anna Flower Designer (Cassano Magnago – Va) for the specific floral compositions made of fruits and leaves, an “Animated Still-life” painted with autumnal colours, Tillandsia di Michieli Floricultura(Vescovana – Pd) for the original exhibition of aerial bromeliacee and tillandsia suggesting interior green walls, with a little maintenance.

The “Best plants set-up Award” for the best nursery farmer exhibiting space, a simple but still refined and harmonious exhibition of plants on show and on sell went to Azienda Agricola Zanelli Mauro & C. (Montichiari – Bs), for a wide variety of perennial herbaceous, autumn blooming plants, a vivid border with a rich biodiversity.

Special mentions went to: Aromatiche ClaGia (Sciacca – Ag) for the exhibition of unusual medicinal plants which involves all 5 senses and the Sixth Sense too, 2016 Orticolario theme, Vivaio Anna Peyron di Saskia Pellion di Persano (Castagneto Po – To) for an elegant exhibition enhancing a wide variety of berry plants autumn coloured, Floricultura Federico Billo (Merlara – Pd) for the appealing idea of English Dianthus presented inside wooden boxes, as if they were carnations.

For more information:
Orticolario
info@orticolario.it
www.orticolario.it
Tel. +39.031.3347503