Milan: The Spanish Gardens guests at Orticola

Gardening improves mood, reduces anxiety and stress, boosts self-esteem, we just have to put our hands in the soil because ... Gardening makes you happy because it can be a powerful 'natural therapy', as it lowers cortisol and boosts self-esteem through contact with nature and the achievement of tangible goals. This is the theme chosen for the 2026 edition of

Orticola 2026, the now unmissable exhibition hosted until Sunday at the Indro Mondanelli Gardens in Milan. An exhibition but also an opportunity for meetings and workshops to discover this powerful 'natural therapy'. Thirty years ago, in 1996, Orticola di Lombardia revived the Mostra Orticola, a botanical exhibition of excellence that had already been a tradition at the Giardini Pubblici di Porta Venezia since 1866. Spain is the guest country at Orticola 2026, inviting the public in Italia to discover a country where landscape becomes experience, identity and narrative with a packed programme that includes activities for different audiences. In particular, there will be three creative workshops for children inspired by great Spanish artists and the dialogue between creativity and the natural environment. There will also be a workshop realised in collaboration with the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, conceived as a guided tour within the thematic route 'A walk among the flowers'.