This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)

Giardini Visconti is a farm-flower shop located in Gudo Visconti, province of Milan. Owned by Alberto Camussone, with a long family tradition, the company stretches over 129 acres in the countryside.
Established in the 70s, it is dedicated to the production of new flowers, trees, and crops, always respecting the environment and the spontaneous, local fauna.

In particular, the company is made of a large forest, rice paddies, a nursery, a vegetable garden, and a rose garden for the cultivation of dog-roses and cut peonies. The latter facility 7.5 acre-wide, also including an exhibition area housing 55.000 plants of 11 varieties like Peonies “Sarah Bernhardt”, “Duchesse de Nemours”, ”Red Charm”, ”Coral Sunset” and “Coral Charm”, ”Bowl of Cream”, ”Flame”, “Shirley Temple”, ”Jolie“, ”Mother’s Choice” and “Bowl of Beauty”, dedicated to international markets. Their roots are locally sold to enthusiasts and connoisseurs in the Autumn.

Next to this exhibition area, there’s a 358-yard rose garden, housing 300 plants of 45 different varieties; some other 1.200 rose plants (Tea hybrids of 85 varieties) are scattered all over the estate, as well as 60.000 dog-roses “Corallo”. These very roses feature some bright red hips between late spring and summer. A natural habitat for bees, bumblebees, and butterflies is guaranteed by the thorny shrubs abundant in this garden.

The 4.5-acre nursery is dedicated to the cultivation of trees, forest, and ornamental shrubs. The most striking of 152 species here include Atlas cedars, Lebanon cedars, beeches, ashes, maidenhair trees, Lagestroemia, Liquidambar, Liriodendron, Magnolia grandiflora, Pinus mugo, Picea orientalis, Pinus excelsa, oaks, lindens, Taxus sp., mock-orange trees, Easter trees, privets, mahonias, star magnolias, meadowsweets, and thujas.

The wood stretches over some 59 acres of the property, featuring autochthonous plants painstakingly cared for according to EU regulations: there are some 8.500 trees including English walnuts, sweet cherry trees, ashes, alders, hornbeams, oaks, cottonwoods, and willows.

Giardini Visconte also includes a demonstration garden, “Giardino di Vittoria”, and a large lake full of wildlife. They are both open to the public, but visits have to be booked online in advance. The same procedure applies to photography and school trips to the wood. Children must be over 10 and always supervised by their teachers. Birdwatching activities are allowed as well.

Follow @giardini_visconte on Instagram

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)