Orticola colours Milan's Public Gardens

That the colours of petals and corollas make one joyful has always been known. But there's more: 'Gardening makes people happy', reads the star theme of this 2026 edition of Orticola. Recent scientific research by British scientists has discovered that the soil is home to a bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae, which is absolutely harmless to humans, and that whenever we come into contact with greenery and the earth, this bacterium, easily inhaled, stimulates the brain, causing it to produce serotonin, the substance commonly known as the 'happiness hormone'.

If this is the main theme, the foreign guest country of this edition is Spain to which the Iberian landscape architect Fernando Martos dedicates his garden-refuge, while the ladies celebrate the kingdom with the colours of its flag, yellow and red, displayed in caps and afternoon elegance. As for the novelties on show, we would like to point out The King's Rose™, the English rose by David Austin named after King Charles III, as well as the rose dedicated to Ornella Vanoni.

Numerous 'special' plants can also be seen and touched: Cyathea contaminans, a fern that can reach a height of 20 metres, Acer pentaphyllum, one of the rarest maples in the world, Chloraea bletioides a rustic orchid endemic to Chile that disappears during the unfavourable season to re-emerge from its underground reserve organs, and also the Purshia plicata that attracts butterflies,Sauropus androgynus also known by the common name of katuk, whose leaves are tasty and are often eaten cooked and their flavour is reminiscent of fresh peas, as well as the many plants and flowers that have always featured in the exhibition.

The unmissable appointment with Orticola is in Milan, Giardini pubblici Indro Montanelli, until Sunday 10 May