[2026 / iconic places]

Nel mondo di Phantasos (In the world of Phantasos)

project by Mario Mariani / Central Park & Matteo Boccardo

with the support of Fondazione Banca Popolare di Milano

With the world of Phantasos, Orticolario explores a form of nature capable of transcending the boundaries of reality. A vegetal universe inhabited by extraordinary species which, through unusual forms, unexpected colors, and rare adaptations, seem to belong to an unexplored elsewhere. Strange, sometimes eccentric, almost alien plants, custodians of rare evolutionary stories.

The visitor is invited to cross the threshold of the dream and enter the realm of the Oneiroi, guided by Phantasos on a journey between discovery and wonder. A path in which the plant world reveals itself in its most mysterious and captivating dimension, unveiling nature’s extraordinary capacity to astonish.

In Greek mythology,
Hypnos is the personification of sleep, an ancient and silent god who lulls the world into slumber, guiding every living being into the realm of the unconscious. In this dimension, the Oneiroi are born—deities of dreams, winged figures who traverse the night bringing visions to mortals.

Among them, Morpheus takes on human forms and generates dreams made of faces, words, and memories. Phobetor, on the contrary, assumes the shapes of unease, filling sleep with mysterious animals and ancestral presences. And then there is Phantasos, the most elusive and fascinating of them all.

Phantasos does not manifest through living creatures, but through the very matter of the world. In dreams, he takes the form of trees and rocks, leaves and mountains, waters, clouds, and landscapes. He is the invisible breath that animates nature, generating fantastical scenes.

Forms blur, proportions shift. Burnt-brown trunks forged in fire seem like beings from another time, weightless leaves resemble shifting wings, strange flowers appear to come from an alien world.

It is in the world of Phantasos that nature reveals itself in all its extraordinariness, transcending the rules of reality.

nel mondo di Phantasos
with

Celandroni Orchidee
Central Park
Hoyamia
Mondocactus

Palme & Piante tropicali

Rifnik Garden&plants

+

Phantasos

botanic installation

project by Mario Mariani / Central Park and Matteo Boccardo

Nel mondo di Phantasos (In the world of Phantasos)

Celandroni Orchidee
with Giulio Celandroni

For over twenty years, orchids have been the thread running through the story of Giulio Celandroni. It all began in the veranda of his home, where as a very young man he cultivated thousands of plants, driven by a passion that over time grew into a profession. Today, his nursery is a benchmark for orchid enthusiasts, with a highly specialized production and technologically advanced greenhouses that allow him to cultivate species from all over the world. The greenhouses, equipped with cutting-edge systems for heating, cooling, and fertigation, ensure optimal growing conditions throughout the year. The specialization focuses in particular on intermediate-warm greenhouse orchids, ranging from compact varieties to large specimens, cultivated with expertise and dedication.
Among the most fascinating species is Catasetum Orchidglade, a South American hybrid that immediately stands out for its large, striking, and unusually shaped flowers. Its most surprising feature is its sophisticated pollination mechanism, one of the most curious and spectacular in the orchid world. This plant also has a distinctive life cycle: during the dry season it enters a resting phase, completely shedding its leaves and roots, only to regain strength with new growth and culminate in a spectacular bloom. It is a rare variety, available in limited quantities, capable of inspiring awe and fascination in anyone who observes it.

Central Park
with Mario Mariani

Since 1995, the year in which the Central Park nursery was founded in Saronno — later moved to Galliate to allow for increasingly extensive and rare collections — botanical research and a passion for greenery have guided every project of the nursery, spanning exhibitions, gardens, and installations across Europe. It all began with the encounter with a then-unknown Hydrangea aspera, which definitively shaped the nursery’s path. Among the most captivating species is Pyrrosia lingua, a rare Asian fern that grows clinging to rocks, gradually forming large green carpets. Its orange spores and its ability to curl in on itself during periods of drought astonish anyone who observes it, so much so that people often touch it to check whether it is truly alive. At the heart of everything lies a relationship with plants built on deep respect and constant wonder.

Mondocactus
with Andrea Cattabriga

The passion for the plant world has accompanied the founder of Mondocactus since childhood. As a child, he spent hours observing plants, developing a particular fascination for succulent species thanks to his encounter, in the late 1970s, with Giuseppe Lodi, one of Italy’s most authoritative scholars in the field. From this passion emerged a path that led to a degree in Natural Sciences, scientific outreach, study trips, and a concrete commitment to the conservation of rare and threatened species, also through collaborations and consultancy work in the CITES and IUCN fields.
In 2012, Mondocactus was founded as a nursery specialized in the propagation and conservation of rare succulent plants, now recognized as a true botanical collection within the international network of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International. Mondocactus is a private living museum dedicated to the protection, study, and dissemination of botanical species of extraordinary natural value. Each plant is cultivated with particular attention to its origin, ecology, and correct scientific information, promoting a responsible culture rooted in biodiversity awareness.
The main specialization focuses on Cactaceae from the planet’s most extreme environments: slow-growing species, often small in size and highly threatened in the wild. At the core of Mondocactus’s philosophy is the belief that conservation and knowledge must go hand in hand. For this reason, every activity is guided by deep respect for plants and their natural habitats, encouraging the cultivation-based propagation of the rarest species and opposing the illegal trade of wild-collected specimens. Today, Mondocactus continues to pursue the same vision: preserving, studying, and sharing extraordinary plants, offering enthusiasts not only rare specimens but also the knowledge needed to understand their value and contribute to their conservation.
Among the rarest and most fascinating cacti in the world is Aztekium ritteri, endemic to the gypsum outcrops of Nuevo León, Mexico. Extremely small and characterized by exceptionally slow growth, this species has developed remarkable adaptations to survive in extreme environments: it can endure long periods without water, progressively reducing gas exchange until it enters a state of dormancy. Its flattened shape and thick waxy cuticle protect it from heat and dehydration, while its small fragrant flowers contrast with the harshness of its habitat.

Hoyamia
with Silvia De Pretto

Silvia De Pretto’s journey began in the early 2000s with an encounter with a Hoya carnosa, the well-known “wax plant.” Year after year, through experimentation, successes, and continuous discovery, this passion grew into a profession: the Hoyamia nursery. Today, her greenhouse is a small jungle dedicated to Hoyas, where rare and distinctive varieties are cultivated and propagated by recreating conditions as close as possible to their natural habitats. Among the most fascinating species is Hoya linearis, a remarkable plant native to the Himalayan mountain forests. With its long trailing stems and unusual, thin velvety leaves, it resembles a green waterfall suspended in the air. In autumn, as temperatures drop and the plants prepare for dormancy, it produces delicate, fragrant blooms: small creamy-white flowers gathered in elegant umbels, with a fresh citrus scent that intensifies in the evening hours. So different from classic Hoyas as to be almost unrecognizable, Hoya linearis never fails to spark wonder and curiosity, captivating anyone who observes it up close.

Palme & Tropical Plants
with Massimo Sallemi

Massimo Sallemi’s nursery specializes in the cultivation of tropical and unusual plants, an activity born from his passion for sowing and researching rare and distinctive species. After studying at the Faculty of Agriculture in Piacenza, his encounter with other tropical palm enthusiasts definitively shaped his path, giving rise to a collection that over the years has grown into a full-time profession.For nearly fourteen years, his nursery has been a place where, as he likes to say, “botanical anarchy” reigns: a lush greenhouse in which palms, bromeliads, and exotic plants coexist freely, creating striking tropical atmospheres. Specializing in palms and tropical plants, Massimo now propagates numerous rare and unusual species, cultivating a relationship with plants that he describes as almost “symbiotic.” Among his most recent passions are Bromeliaceae, such as Neoregelia correia-araujoi, a species endemic to Brazil that stands out for its large size and the intense colors it takes on in sunlight.

Rifnik Garden&plants
with Gorazd Mauer

For over forty years, Rifnik Garden&plants has been dedicated to the cultivation and dissemination of rare and unusual plants, with a particular focus on hardy perennials, woodland species, and botanical collectors’ plants. Born from a personal passion for the research and propagation of uncommon varieties, the nursery is today a specialized organisation that collaborates with collectors, growers, and international botanical institutions, regularly taking part in major European exhibitions devoted to plant rarities.
At the core of Rifnik Garden&plants’ vision lies the idea that the garden is not merely an ornamental space, but a place of discovery, adaptation, and botanical storytelling. Encounters with plant hunters and botanical explorers have profoundly shaped its horticultural approach, leading to the belief that not only plant conservation is essential, but also the human work of research, study, and stewardship that allows extraordinary species to enter cultivation.
The nursery thus is like as a bridge between botanical gardens, specialist collections, and passionate gardeners, responsibly introducing still uncommon plants into Europe. Among these, hardy Begonia rex represent one of the most advanced achievements in contemporary ornamental hybridisation: their metallic, highly decorative leaves—typical of Begonia rex—are combined with the hardiness of Begonia grandis, allowing the plant to survive outdoors in temperatures ranging from -12°C to -15°C. Moreover, begonias possess one of the most sophisticated light adaptations in the plant kingdom: some species feature highly organised microscopic structures within their chloroplasts capable of manipulating and optimising diffuse light in deeply shaded forest environments. These photonic structures enable the plant to thrive in deep shade, where many other species would struggle to survive. For Rifnik Garden&plants, plants are a bridge between botany, exploration, science, and emotion: living organisms that continually astonish through their beauty, resilience, and evolutionary complexity.

[Bio]

Mario Mariani, vivaista e progettista con oltre trent’anni di esperienza, è fondatore del Vivaio Central Park, realtà di riferimento nazionale nella coltivazione botanica e nella realizzazione di giardini e allestimenti. Matteo Boccardo, garden designer, da dieci anni progetta spazi autentici, in equilibrio tra luogo, natura e identità. Insieme uniscono competenze e sensibilità per creare giardini armonici, curati e profondamente legati al contesto.

M_

Terra, scura, quasi nera.
Copre il bianco, lo trasforma.
All’inizio è resistenza, graffio.
Poi diventa gesto morbido, rotondo.
Carezza.

E in quel passaggio qualcosa si apre.
La mente si quieta, il corpo ascolta.
Non serve capire.
Serve lasciarsi attraversare.

I fili si aggrovigliano, si tendono.
Non trovano forma.
Li lascio cadere.
Respiro.
E poi la forma arriva.

È lì che entriamo.
In quello spazio tra il controllo e il lasciar andare.
Dove qualcosa prende forma da solo.

La terra accoglie.
Tiene, contiene.
E lentamente lascia emergere.

Come un respiro profondo.
Non si guida, non si impone.
Semplicemente, emerge.

Le mani tornano morbide.
I nodi si sciolgono.
C’è una luce che appare.

È uno stato sottile.
Tra veglia e sogno.
Dove ciò che guardi fuori, risuona dentro.

Ogni tela attende.
Ogni gesto è diverso, unico.

Solo se sei disposto ad entrarci.

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