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| INTERVIEW WITH ... Daniele Marcacci, Manager of Locarno City's Parks and Garden Service |
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Where :
6600
Locarno
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For some years now, the Locarnese region has been enriched with a new botanical jewel, a park by the shores of Lake Verbano dedicated to a flower typical of the lakes region, the camellia. We discover its secrets with Daniele Marcacci, the parks'manager.
Mr. Marcacci, when and how was Locarno Parco delle Camelie founded?
Locarno and the camellias share a long, common history. As long ago as the 1920's, the "festa delle camelie" (camellia festival) was celebrated with parades full of flowers, floats and music shows. The park itself was born out of the passion of my predecessor, Remo Ferriroli, who had the idea, around the year 2000, at the same time as this festival was revived, of creating an area with flowers open to the public in the area where we already had a nursery hosting some 200 varieties, at the Lanca degli Stornazzi. A strong boost had also come in 1999, with the creation of the Swiss Camellia Society with its main office in Locarno, and from 2005, with the World Congress, based permanently in Locarno. For the occasion, we wanted to demonstrate something special, and that's how the original core of the Park came to life.
What does it feature?
The camellia needs an acid soil, so in our region it grows very well. At the moment, the park features more than 800 varieties of which some forty are rare. In addition we have bulbs (narcissus, crocus...), heathers, ivies, ferns, in addition to our tall trees (aspens, oaks). The atmosphere, thanks to the little pond and its water feature, is very welcoming and relaxing. A second area has now been added to the original, toward the lakeside, featuring a little lake, a pavillion and a small amphitheatre.
From 2008, the exhibition of cut camellias which had taken place in the city centre, has been hosted in the park, in its natural environment: for the occasion, some 400 varieties are displayed. This is the most important event in Europe of that kind.
Creating a new park: satisfaction, problems, obstacles?
We were pleased with the positive reaction from local people and visitors alike to the park. On the botanical side, we are satisfied with its development and growth: but years are sometimes necessary before the fruits of our work can be seen. The weather sometimes makes things a bit difficult, and we've had periods of draught and particularly cold Winters, in addition to maintenance in general, which is often quite demanding.
What are your duties over the course of the year?
During the Winter we take care of cleaning and safety by pruning the trees, while Spring is dedicated to preparation for the festival, which takes place at the end of March. During the Summer we weed, in Autumn we plant and collect the leaves which, when put at the foot of the trees, work as protection for the cold of Winter.
Who visits the park?
The park is busy all year round with people from the region, thanks to its very special atmosphere, but obviously, visits peak during the Summer bloom. Camellia enthusiasts from abroad come as well, sometimes is groups of experts, botanists, gardeners, and memebers of camellia societies. Often, they ask for guided visits to be able to appreciate the peculiarities of the park at its best.
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