Juries & awards 2025
Exhibitors
Technical Committee, which evaluates the breadth of the collection, attention to research, rarity of species, etc. (only for nursery exhibitors).
Aesthetic Committee, which judges staging of spaces, as well as lighting solutions
Companies awarded by each Commitee are highlighted in the next edition’s catalogue, recognisable by the “Excellency” label.
Technical Committee
*Collection Award for the most impressive collection goes to Natura Maestra. Piante Innovative / Natural AREA* (E) in Ala Lario, for its wide range of wild edible plants and the revival of ancient vegetables.
*Collection Mention goes to Miches Tomatenvielfalt / Parco, 91 for the presence of 530 varieties of tomatoes with different shapes, colors, sizes, and flavors. An example of genetic biodiversity.
*Collection Mention goes to Filippo Maria Bodini / Ala Cernobbio, 62 for his passion and expertise in offering both outdoor and indoor plants.
*Super Specimen Award for the plant that represents uniqueness in terms of shapes, sizes, colors, and/or fragrance in the edition goees to Cactusmania by Manera / Parco, 51 for the presence of Operculicarya decaryi.
*Super Specimen Mention goes to A&G Floroortoagricola / Parco, 13-14 for the presence of Ferocactus stainesii var. pilosus.
*Super Specimen Mention goes to Oscar Tintori Vivai / Parco, 21 for the presence of Murraya paniculata.
*Rarity Award for the best plant (novelty or rarity) goes to to Donna di Piante / Parco, 84-85 for the presence of Sassafras albidum, a North American plant with a striking reddish autumn coloration. A species with multiple uses: culinary, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic.
*Rarity Mention goes to Rifnik Garden & Plants / Parco, 24 for the presence of Tricyrtis macranthopsis, an uncommon species with unique growth form and coloration.
*Rarity Mention goes to Miretti Giardini / Parco, 7 for the presence of Arbutus unedo rotundifolia, a small shrub with peeling reddish bark and rounded leaves rich in medicinal properties.
*Cultural Preparation Award for the best labeling and preparation of nursery exhibitors on their plants, with particular attention to the types of plants selected for the edition goes to Azienda Agricola D’Aleo / Parco, 34 for its cultural and professional preparation and for the presentation of two wild edible passionflowers.
Aesthetic Committee
*Best Products set-up Award (for non-nursery exhibitors) goes to Mast Ceramics / Ala Lario, 59 for its innovative technique combining technology and craftsmanship while maintaining a great attention to design formality and functionality.
*A mention goes to:
eg filodiluce / Ala Lario, 30
Borseggi. Opera in fiore cooperativa sociale / Ala Lario, 60
Muscari Lab / Ala Cernobbio, 58
*Best Plants set-up Award (for nursery exhibitors) goes to Fratelli Leonelli / Parco, 57 for the balance between human and plant elements, characterized by free and light shapes. For their ability in pairing plant species with raw iron. Not just a sales space, but an intimate promenade to linger in.
*A mention goes to:
Azienda Agricola La Siepe and Azienda Agricola Lorenzo Moretti / Parco, 02-03
Donna di Piante / Parco, 84-85
BeePlant / Ala Lario, 08
*Iconic Product Award
Awarded to the product that best represents, through its shapes, dimensions, colors and/or scent, the uniqueness of the Orticolario edition, in relation to its themes of the Garden of Eden and edible wild plants goes to Elena Chimenti Sculture / Ala Lario, 48 for the ability to animate a thread of iron through space and light.
A mention goes to:
Bèkla printmaking / Ala Lario, 60
Calluna Cartilegi / Ala Lario, 04
Helleboro Home Decor / Ala Cernobbio, 01
*Cultural Preparation Award
Awarded for the best preparation and communication within the exhibitor’s display (for non-nursery exhibitors only) goes to Epoca Design / Ala Cernobbio, 57 for blending science, design, and communication to create a space that is not only a refuge but a meeting point between observation and sensitivity: a valuable contribution to biodiversity.
*A mention goes to:
Algranti Lab / Ala Lario, 44
Azienda vivaistica frutticoltura Orvieto / Parco, 73
Creative Spaces & Out-of-competition Installations
Creative committee
La Giuria creativa valuta le realizzazioni secondo diversi criteri tra cui: coerenza con il tema, corrispondenza tra il progetto presentato e la realizzazione, la qualità e la cura del dettaglio, equilibrio di forme e volumi, luci e colori, uso consapevole delle piante e qualità nella scelta botanica, innovazione dei materiali, genius loci, idea progettuale, ecosostenibilità, riferimenti storico-artistici.
*Foglia d’oro del Lago di Como Award goes to the Miretti Giardini Space “Uno scrigno di natura rigenerante” by Flavio Miretti, Brigitta Balestri, and Matilde Tonelli (2) for its ability to represent Eden as a multisensory ecosystem accessible to a wide audience, and for translating a complex concept into an immersive sensory and cultural experience, with a focus on botanical quality, sustainability, and attention to detail.
*Empathy Award for a space that tells a story, communicates, and evokes emotion goes to Il Giardino dei Giunchi “Ecospirituale” by Daniela Giraudo (7) for its ability to emotionally engage an intergenerational audience with the representation of a poetic, multisensory, symbolic Eden, rich in biodiversity.
*Best Art and Design Installation Award goes to “La Mela” by Kimiyasu Kato for the exceptional ability to blend technical quality, clear communication, ecological message, and evocative value in a single artwork.
*Art and Design Installation Mention goes to “The Secret Garden” by Alessandro Puccia for its ability to address the theme of Eden through science, art, and technology, exploring the plant world from the inside, breaking down the boundary between the known and the unknown.
*Press Award for Innovation in Materials and Ecosustainability goes to Amorfini Garden “Hortus/Silva” by Davide Boschetti (4).
*Visitors’ Award for the creative space voted by the public goes to Italiana Terricci “Il giardino ritrovato” (1) by Marco Fraschini, Marta Viganò, and Elisa Costa / Urges.
Special Awards
*Gardenia Award for the most memorable nursery, exhibitor, or installation of the edition goes to DZONOT, an installation designed by Jonathan Arnaboldi and Matteo Pellicanò for the Central Pavilion, realistically recreating a natural environment that evokes the Garden of Eden. The choice to occupy the vertical space with vines and water falling from above, along with the brave decision to leave dry branches and leaves on the ground as in nature, was particularly appreciated. DZONOT is a garden that stimulates the senses with the background sounds of birds singing and natural sounds. The plants used are typically found in our homes—kenzie, alocasia, capelvenere, Chamaedorea—but are actually tropical forest species.
*Villa d’Este Award where style and elegance blend into a timeless tradition goes to Il Giardino dei Giunchi “Ecospirituale” by Daniela Giraudo (7) for its balance, the choice of details, the natural material path, and the final touch with primordial plant elements of great effect. A garden that transmits serenity and harmony.
*Villa Carlotta Award for the enhancement of art in the garden, where nature and human ingenuity coexist harmoniously, goes to Oasi Studio “Viaggio primordiale” by Andrea Volonterio and Davide Simoncini (3) for its ability to guide visitors on a sensory and narrative journey through different spaces and emotions, inviting total immersion in nature with primordial suggestions and unexpected discoveries.
This experience closely mirrors the philosophy of Villa Carlotta’s garden, which for centuries has accompanied its guests on a journey made of different environments and changing atmospheres, capable of surprising and enchanting with every step.
The project thus rewards the art of creating a continuous dialogue between landscape and person, between botanical wonder and inner memory, returning to the public the same richness of stimuli and emotions that animate the garden of Villa Carlotta.
*Grandi Giardini Italiani Award for a place capable of welcoming visitors while expressing art in all its forms, with particular attention to the destination and role of the project, both for the local community and the tourist goes to Oasi Studio “Viaggio primordiale” by Andrea Volonterio and Davide Simoncini (3) for capturing the Eden imagery: it is only by entering that one can fully appreciate its lush development and rich variety. The space is harmonious, inviting visitors to linger and return, engaging all visitors, including the younger ones, with a creative, fun, and Instagrammable touch symbolized by the mirror at the exit.
*AIAPP Matilde Marazzi Award for an innovative space that is consistent with the themes of simplicity, beauty, and sustainability, key qualities in landscape design, from gardens to parks and cities, goes to Oasi Studio “Viaggio primordiale” by Andrea Volonterio and Davide Simoncini (3) for its adherence to the theme and meeting the Marazzi Award requirements for simplicity and sustainability: everything is made with plant materials that are reproducible and low-maintenance. The careful composition and selection of plants create a welcoming place in harmony with the surroundings.
*President’s Award by Moritz Mantero, President of Orticolario, goes to Marco Gramaglia for his infinite availability, courtesy, and extensive cultural knowledge, making him a true expert in wild edible plants and beyond.