Vegetable Gardening Courses: The Best in Italy

COURSES FOR GROWING A VEGETABLE GARDEN

Throughout Italy, from North to South, there are excellent courses for growing vegetablesThey're organized by private associations as well as public institutions, and there are options for all ages, from children to adults. We recommend choosing in-person courses, as there are plenty of options, but if that's not possible, there are also online options.

FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA

Ad AquileiaIn the province of Udine, at the La Grande Madre Educational Garden, courses are offered for both children and adults. These include courses in horticulture, a basic course in synergistic horticulture, and the garden calendar. For more information and course dates and programs, visit www.ortodidattico.it.

AGENDA NEWS

A TurinThe Turin Garden nursery offers hands-on horticulture courses. All the information is available at www.turingarden.com. The Sguardo Nel Verde Cultural Association, located at Viridarium Lab-Garden in Pino Torinese, offers, among other things, the "Vegetable Garden in the City" course. The range of topics is extensive; to learn more, visit www.sguardonelverde.com. Orti generali Srl, in Turin, also offers various courses. These include "Basic Organic Horticulture" and "Growing Cut Flowers," to keep in touch (https://www.ortigenerali.it/).

LIGURIA

In Liguria, specifically in Soldano, in the province of Imperia, Suingiardino organizes courses for all ages focusing on biodiversity, easy greenery, winter gardens, and activities for the very young. (https://suingiardino.com).

VENETO

A VeronaEvery year, the “Countryside Life Fair” offers hundreds of courses, all free and lasting about an hour, on how to cultivate your garden, vegetable patch, home terrace and more (https://lafiera.vitaincampagna.it)

LOMBARDY

A MilanHorticulture courses are periodically held at Parco Nord. The Cascina Biblioteca Società Cooperativa Sociale on Via Casoria is also organizing the "Ortista per un anno 2024" workshop-course. It began last March and will run until October (see https://cascinabiblioteca.it/corsi-attivita/ortista-per-un-anno/ for more information).

Also Il Garden of aromas of via Ippocrate 45, always in Milan, organizes courses for adults and children. For more information, consult the updated list of courses at this address: https://www.ilgiardinodegliaromi.org/category/corsi-e-laboratori. Those who want to learn more about sustainable agriculture, permaculture, and sustainable use of water and energy can refer to the courses organized by "School of Sustainable Practices in the South Milan Agricultural Park(https://www.scuoladipratichesostenibili.org). Also in Milan, the Società Umanitaria offers a horticulture course open to all, with a rich theoretical and practical program. It teaches, among other things, the basics of identifying and growing the main fruit and vegetable plants and delves into their production and marketing. (https://www.umanitaria.it/)

A Monza, the Agricultural School of the Monza Park, founded in 1902, organizes courses in horticulture, gardening and horticultural therapyAmong those starting soon, we highlight "The Balcony Garden," two meetings (from May 18th to 25th) dedicated to the concepts and useful tips for creating and managing a small balcony garden (https://www.monzaflora.it/it-IT/corsi/agricoltura/l-orto-sul-balcone).

EMILIA ROMAGNA

A budrio (Bologna), at Flora 2000 in via Zenzalino Sud 19/A, don't miss the opportunity to participate in the courses held by master gardener Carlo Pagani in which you can deepen your knowledge about the care and maintenance of plants and their arrangement in gardenIn Marzabotto (Bologna), Il Giardino di Pimpinella (School of Botany and Wild Herbalism – Holistic Center) offers a rich program of courses. Among these, we recommend "Getting Started Growing: The ABCs for New and Enthusiastic Gardeners and Vegetable Growers" (www.pimpinella.it).

TUSCANY

A FlorenceThe Tuscan Horticultural Society organizes a series of meetings periodically. The "Planning and Creating a Vegetable Garden" workshop will begin on Saturday, May 11, 2024. This workshop will teach you how to grow a vegetable garden from the very beginning. The course also provides basic information on how to start a sustainable vegetable garden on your own. On Saturday, May 25, the Citrus Cultivation and Pruning Course will be held, to understand the history and techniques for properly caring for citrus trees of all kinds. To see the schedule and all the events, visit https://societatoscanaorticultura.it/.

The Garden Academy, based in Pistoia, also offers a wide variety of gardening courses. For more information on duration and costs, please contact the contact information on their website: https://www.accademiadelgiardino.it/index.html.

LAZIO

In Capital, the Green School organizes annual courses on gardening, cultivation of the vegetable garden and foraging. Visit the website https://www.scuoladelverde.it/ for more information. The Municipality organizes public gardening courses annually at the Gardening School of Rome. Finally, to LabicoLocated in the province of Rome, the Carlo Noro biodynamic farm has been offering biodynamic agriculture courses for over 30 years, both on the farm and at other locations throughout Italy. Visit https://biodinamicanoro.net/ for information on upcoming courses.

ONLINE COURSES FOR GROWING A VEGETABLE GARDEN

There are also some good online courses that teach you how to grow vegetables. Among these, we recommend:

• Easy Garden of Vegetable Garden to Grow (www.ortodacoltivare.it): 52 video lessons, 6 hours of footage, to learn the basics of successful organic farming. Includes notes, insights, and an updated garden calendar.
• We are agriculture (www.noisiamoagricoltura.com). The site is full of helpful tips, starting with the sowing calendar. Additionally, you can rely on the official Noi Siamo Agricoltura Facebook group to discuss and interact with many other experts and enthusiasts.
• Plants to grow in the garden, edited by Carlo Pagani (www.giuntiedu.it/products/corso-11-le-piante-da-coltivare-nell-orto), an online course that provides essential information for sowing, growing, harvesting and more all types of vegetables in the garden.
• OrtoForesta, an agricultural company located in Florence, offers online courses on regenerative horticulture, in addition to in-person courses. These courses range from how to grow a fallow field to managing it regeneratively. (https://www.ortoforesta.it/)
• It is held partly online and the remainder (in agreement with the participants) in person, but in an itinerant manner to cover different areas of Italy, the Horticulture Course Taught by Dr. Fabio Di Gioia, a graduate in Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, specializing in the recovery and promotion of ancient plant varieties. (https://www.agendacontadina.it/evento/corso-di-orticoltura-2024/)

OTHER TOPICS THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU:

• Home gardening: you can grow it even in small spaces
• How to grow vegetables in spring
• How to make a synergistic garden