When was the trade fair held?
The 30th Exhibition-market at the castle of Masino and in its park took place this year between 21 and 23 October. The theme, as we have often encountered this year in the various events held, focused on “The possible garden: adaptation, creativity and sustainability”.
How many nurserymen were there?
The Piedmontese Garden Academy has selected more than 100 nurserymen who have proposed the most sought-after varieties for beauty, simplicity and adaptability to the current climatic situation.
“[…] Among the botanical novelties on display: numerous varieties of yarrow, agastache, echinacea, eryngium and sedum, flowering plants resistant to drought and able to cope with increasingly rising temperatures, and the unusual Dalea purpurea, Dierama pulcherrimum , Euphorbia dendroides, Euphorbia donii ‘Amjillasa’, Euphorbia griffitii ‘Fern Cottage’.
Furthermore, among the new plants for arid soils, an interesting collection of cysts, such as the rare and original Cistus halimifolius (Yellow cistus) and Cistus ladanifer, medicinal and aromatic.
[…] of particular interest for the vegetation and the autumn flowering there will be the majestic Eupatorium capillipes ‘Elegant plume’ and the Phellodendron amurense, a rutacea from Asia, a rustic deciduous tree, with corky bark, cultivated for its beautiful habit and the aromatic foliage. […]” (fondoambiente.it)“[…] Always linked to fil rouge of the “possible garden” and the challenges that climate change poses to the gardener, will also be addressed more specifically botanical themes: from dry meadows, which select a greater variety of flowering species and combine beauty and biodiversity for pollinators, to the plants used to expand, even in the smallest gardens, the flowering season and nectar supply, up to bulbs and seeds to be planted to ensure genetic diversity and reproducibility for animal hosts […]” (fondoambiente.it)
The route of the exhibition-market is concentrated in the lower part of the park, near the entrances, winding along the existing paths and forming a ring.
After a first tour of the exhibitors and deciding, in principle, which plants to buy (then there were many more) we continued to visit the castle. The village perched between the park and the castle is fascinating, as if to protect the latter or to protect the village from the rest of the world.
The castle park
The park of the castle has the classic sixteenth-century imprint where the parts of the park closest to the castle are the most decorated. It so happens that we come across a stone wall about a couple of meters high which divides the area of the English park (the furthest from the castle) from that enriched by annual blooms, green events, the small temple, the labyrinth, the jujube grove (what a feast!!) which we overcome by climbing a stone staircase.
The walk
The walk in this part of the park makes one feel like a lady in costume. It makes you want to walk slowly, chatting slowly. It seems to hear the clothes rustling on the ground…
Walking along the avenues of cypresses, we see meadows with box hedges in shape that welcome flowerbeds of perennial flowering herbs. We also walk through a palm grove which, with its bare and slender trunks, looks like a stone colonnade at the end of which we can see the small temple.
The rose garden is at the rear base of the castle, enclosed by an iron gate. A romantic pool of water stands at the center.
The maze
Passing instead in front of the castle, you reach a long avenue at the end of which is the famous labyrinth. We obviously circled around and got lost for half an hour then cheated and walked out. I must say that despite the sun, the delightful place, the beloved company and a full belly – we had lunch at the FAI bar next to the castle – we children of the 80s could not miss the call of “The Shining“.
The visit to the castle
The visit to the castle was guided and those who accompany you love the tour and the castle so they tell it with love. The following photos are just some of the magnificent rooms crossed and I leave you the desire to go and visit it by pointing out only one thing that I would also like in my home
The marble floors
The wonderful marble floor obviously not laid in tiles but in grit created on the floor itself so as beautiful today as it was in 1500 when it was laid.
The meetings
There was no shortage of in-depth meetings focused on the recomposition of the relationship between man and nature. The cultivation of the vegetable garden and the tricks that can be put in place to counter the negative effects of the new climatic situation and also the awareness of people on the role that small animals also play in our private gardens and terraces in relation to the surrounding area.
You can find a list of these meetings at this link https://fondoambiente.it/il-fai/beni/tre-giorni-per-il-giardino/programma/ and if you would like a particular meeting to be reported, tell us and we will we will propose in an article!
End of day amenities
In the end, tired but happy, we tasted the roasted chestnuts sitting on a sheaf of straw with the gentle light of the sunset warming our backs… what more could you ask for!
Now on horseback! Work awaits us! Our new wonderful outdoor space is about to be born!
GOOD WORK and … if you have any questions please write to info@mondodelgiardino.com
Image sources: thanks to friends for the beautiful day; atlantides.it for Cistus halimifolium; torinotoday.it for the labyrinth; garden.org for Dalea purpurea; ebay for Dierama pulcherrimum; ilpeccatovegetale.it for the Eupatorium capillifolium Elegant Plume; fioridisicilia.altervista.org for Euphorbia dendroides; rhs.org.uk for Euphorbia donii amjillasa; facebook/planthuntersfairs for Euphorbia griffithii Fern Cottage; treesandshrubsonline.org for Phellodendron amurense.