History
The garden was created in 1985 on abandoned land surrounding a mediaeval house in the Monte Orlando Regional Park, between old Gaeta and the modern city, thanks to the botanical and environmental commitment of Nicola del Roscio. From the start it was intended as a base for experimental research to acclimatise palm trees, since the site enjoys an exceptionally mild micro-climate, protected from cold winter winds by the Aurunci mountains rising from sea level to an altitude of 1533 metres. The garden covers two hectares and is organised into fourteen terraces descending to the Gaeta Gulf; it houses 150 different species of palm, grown from seed collected on work trips in subtropical climes. Many of the species grown from seed here are rare or risk extinction in their original sites.
The garden has a very delicate equilibrium due to the rarity of the species, their climatic needs, the terraced land and the wish to use methods which completely respect the natural environment. Only organic products are used to treat the plants. Water resources are another of the critical problems to be dealt with: rain water is stored in cisterns to be used in moments of drought. Beehives help to stabilise the flora and many birds and other animals have chosen the garden as their new habitat over the last decade.
The garden is managed by the Nicola del Roscio Foundation, actively involved in the artistic world and the conservation of Cy Twombly's work, an American painter, sculptor and photographer who lived in Gaeta for many years. The Foundation supports the maintenance and improvement of the garden, which is now internationally renowned; some palm specimens have been donated to the city of Gaeta, in a context of cooperation in which the Foundation is committed to enhance local and environmental interest, encouraging educational activities and scientific research. The Foundation will shortly publish a book on the garden with photographs and advice based on Nicola del Roscio's personal experience in sowing, acclimatising and preserving subtropical flora
