How the Pomario of Villa La Pietra is Being Converted to a Bio-active Vegetable Garden

Nick Dakin-Elliot, NYU Florence’s Horticultural Associate, will give an account of the Pomario’s history and explain the idea behind the bio-active vegetable garden and why this milestone event will contribute to the battle against climate change as well as producing more nutritious veggies.

Attached to the north side of Villa La Pietra is a walled garden, the Pomario, that has been producing food for over 550 years. In that time, ideas on what is good to eat and how best to grow it have changed but two basic facts remain constant: the walls and gates surrounding it help create a microclimate free from foraging animal and the soil within it is fertile. Spring 2021 sees the start of a new chapter in the Pomario’s history as work begins to convert it in to a bio-active vegetable garden. Part of NYU Florence’s wider plans to improve its sustainability sees the estate’s green waste is being composted to produce a life-rich compost that will aid the growth and nutritional value of the vegetables we produce while also helping to combat climate change.