Special Interest Horticultural Group

10 people from Germany with a particular common interest in nature, plants and visiting gardens were brought together for a specialised trip to Malta and Gozo, where they visited several private gardens and nature parks with local experts.

The gardens that can be found in the Maltese Islands are numerous despite being small in size. What they lack in size they make up for in historical and cultural content, which when pieced together, relate the happenings of their inhabitants from the early 15th century to present day.

A rich horticultural experience

The objective of the trip was to see as many different gardens as possible and understand the local plant variations with on site experts. The guests were very pleased at the end of the trip and went home with enriched horticultural knowledge about species indigenous to Malta and Gozo as well as cultural exposure to the different private and public gardens and parks on the Islands.

The group spent the first 4 nights in a classic 5 star hotel in the centre of the island in Malta, surrounded by gardens in and out of the hotel, which is situated next door to the President’s Residence and gardens. The next 3 nights were spent in Gozo, in a lovely 5 star in tranquil surroundings.

Besides the island’s hotspots, the special highlights of the trip included:

• A visit to Palazzo Parisio and gardens guided by the house gardener
• Guided walk in a nature park with a horticultural specialist
• Tour of the President’s Gardens with a botanical expert
• A private eco walk on Dingli Cliffs with explanations by a conservation expert and eco-restaurateur followed by lunch at his restaurant which only uses products grown in the area
• Visit of the historic gardens of Villa Bologna by the owner himself who is very passionate about the gardens
• Exclusive tour of the elaborately-kept gardens situated in the private residence of Chevalier Mizzi, a Knight of the Order who proudly opened his private house to our guests
• Tasting of local olive oil, honey and wine produced by farmers in a natural reserve
• Visit of a local sculptor’s art studio and wine tasting at the vineyards of the most outstanding winery in Gozo