Orticolario 2025 returned for its 15th edition, transforming Villa Erba on Lake Como into an untouched Eden where nature meets art.
From October 2 to 5, 2025, this international event welcomed garden lovers and nature enthusiasts. Visitors explored themed gardens, botanical exhibitions, artistic installations and cultural activities.
Moreover, the event offered an immersive experience celebrating the beauty and diversity of the natural world.
Orticolario 2025: The Wild Garden and the Power of Nature
The 2025 edition celebrated the wild garden, an ecosystem where biodiversity and natural growth take priority over carefully controlled landscapes.
Unlike traditional gardens, this approach embraces the unpredictable beauty of nature. It also encourages people to reconnect with the environment and appreciate its original character.
The historic park of Villa Erba, designed in the 19th century by architects Angelo Savoldi and Giovan Battista Borsani, provided the perfect setting.
Here, more than 250 selected exhibitors, including nurseries, designers and artisans, presented their creations.
Visitors discovered rare and collectible plants, botanical craftsmanship and site-specific art installations.
Together, these elements highlighted the relationship between creativity, sustainability and the natural environment.
Wild Edible Plants: Rediscovering Nature’s Food
One of the main themes of Orticolario 2025 focused on alimurgic plants, also known as wild edible plants.
These species are closely connected to the ancient practice of foraging, which has recently gained renewed popularity.
Rediscovering wild plants supports sustainability and encourages greater respect for natural ecosystems.
At the same time, it helps preserve local culinary traditions and traditional knowledge.
For centuries, people relied on the berries, leaves, shoots and roots of wild plants as essential food sources.
Today, these ingredients are returning to contemporary kitchens thanks to their nutritional value and beneficial properties.
As a result, foraging offers a meaningful connection between food, biodiversity and environmental awareness.
A Programme Combining Culture, Experiences and Innovation
Orticolario offered much more than a traditional botanical exhibition.
In fact, the event became a cultural laboratory, bringing together experts, artists and visitors through a wide range of activities.
The programme included:
- Workshops and talks with experts in botany, landscape design and natural cuisine.
- Educational and creative activities for children and young people, encouraging respect for nature.
- Immersive performances and artistic installations inspired by the strength and beauty of wild landscapes.
Furthermore, these experiences encouraged visitors to explore new perspectives on gardening, sustainability and landscape culture.
A Garden Without Boundaries: Between Fragility and Wonder
Orticolario 2025 invited visitors to reconsider the meaning of a garden.
Rather than viewing nature as something to control, the event celebrated its freedom, strength and vulnerability.
The wild garden became a place of contrasts, where beauty and unpredictability existed side by side.
Above all, the exhibition encouraged people to appreciate nature in its purest form.
For gardening enthusiasts, landscape designers and nature lovers, Orticolario offered an opportunity to discover new ideas and inspiration.
Orticolario 2025: Dates and Information
Dates: October 2–5, 2025
Location: Villa Erba, Cernobbio (Como), Lake Como, Italy
Information and tickets: www.orticolario.it
This post is also available in:
