An interesting year ahead for the Giardino Alpino - Madesimo’s Alpine Garden - with a host of new initiatives. Not all will reach completion (the very height of the place is bound to create occasional logistical problems) but some look sure to meet their ‘deadlines’. But the surfeit of snow this winter coupled with strong winds have meant delays to some parts of the programme due to problems of access. One of the enterprises held up by the weather is the planting of rare varieties of potato at Andossi (awaiting planting there are potatoes from Starleggia, the Guarda, Safier, Bristen varieties from Switzerland, and a ‘blue’ from Sweden.) Naturally they have been sown, as this simply couldn’t be put off, but are ‘housed’ temporarily in Isola in a small private plot, though we are hopeful they will reach their ‘rightful’ home shortly, when the moon’s favourable and the shoots are appropriately lengthy. The Isola connection will remain as long as the plot’s owner sees fit, but from next year Andossi will feature prominently. A further field for rye and barley - one time popular cereals cultivated locally, but more recently out of favour - will be prepared during June and the crops sown in September, using grains of a rare quality - of types almost-extinct - exemplified by the rye Binegga (CH), barley dei walser, and wheat barley too.
The small vegetable plot in the mountains, right next to the rifugio is beginning to take shape now. Already sown, but in pots and awaiting transplanting, are lettuce, cabbage, and a variety of beans. The neighbouring flower beds and the border of the plot will be decorated with lupin, lily, great yellow gentian, cactus, queen of the Alps and varieties of poppy: they’re already in pots and will shortly be transplanted. But the garden is not intended to be simply a botanic plot in which flowers and plants grow in their natural habitat; it will incorporate produce cultivated historically by men who farmed the land, hand in hand with an initiative to support bio-diversity. Our aim is to safeguard and hand down all that we have collectively learned over years of traditional botanic and ethnobotanic cultivation. Initiatives that are sure to take shape this year are the “Clean-up the pasture Day” in which volunteers will set to work, and following that la carovana delle Alpi di Legambiente will arrive in Madesimo. This touring educational ‘caravan’ is on the move through the Alps from July to October and is supported by local sections of Legambiente. Together they will organise outings, exhibitions, meetings, events featuring local cuisine, in fact whatever activity is required to highlight both positive aspects and indeed warn of negative factors at work in a particular locality. Perhaps the most important element is to bring to the public’s attention the precious heritage - vital and yet fragile - within this Alpine range - a heritage too often taken for granted and sadly rarely featuring centre-stage, often seemingly unprotected and vulnerable.
In September the potato goes under the spotlight in “Potato day”, another legambiente initiative, when the characteristics of this important tuber will be demonstrated by botanist Andrea Azzetti. Seed potatoes taken from our fields will be earmarked for reproduction.
The traditional guided tours will take place on the following dates: 25th July; 22nd August: a day taking the theme “Summer in the high pastures” with local cheese-tasting and a demonstration by the producers; 24th October is dedicated to “Autumn colours”.
