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Henry P. Orr International Study Tour

Henry P. Orr Endowment
Fund for Horticultural Excellence

2008 International
Horticulture Study Tour to Italy**

This year the Henry P. Orr Fund for Horticultural Excellence will be sponsoring 4 to 6 undergraduate students on a short term study tour of gardens in their cultural and historical context in northern Italy. Departure will be on May 11 from Atlanta to Milan. The itinerary will include Lake Maggiore, the Borromea Islands, Isola Madre, Villa Taranto, Stresa, the lake country in Tuscany, Genoa, Pisa, Lucca, Marlia, Florence, Bologna, and Verona. The study tour will visit private gardens, botanical gardens, plant producers, captivating and unique landscapes. Students will be accompanied by Horticulture faculty. The Henry P. Orr Fund will cover costs associated with air and ground transportation, tours of gardens, lodging and most meals, with the exception of $500 to be paid in advance by each student selected to participate in the tour. Costs of souvenirs and incidentals will be the responsibility of the student.

Students selected to participate in the study tour are chosen through a competitive process that involves application and an interview of potential candidates. In order to be considered for selection, the student must meet the following criteria:

• Horticulture major, sophomore level or higher, with at least one semester remaining after the trip.
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 in Horticulture major course.
• Participation in extra-curricular activities is desired.

If you are interested in being considered for this opportunity, please submit the following to Ms. Nancy Heard (Funchess 119) by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 15, 2008:

• Impact statement addressing how this trip will benefit you and why you should be selected.
• Current resume.
• Names of two faculty references from within the Horticulture Department.

After review of all applications, the top candidates will be called for an interview with the selection committee. Selection will be made based on the criteria indicated above and faculty recommendations solicited by the committee. Students selected to participate will be expected to:

• Maintain a journal documenting experiences during the trip.
• Participate in the presentation of a seminar to Horticulture Department faculty, staff and students about the trip during Fall semester 2008.
• Participate in group presentations after the trip to promote the Orr Endowment.

For questions about the program, please contact Dr. Eakes at 844-3039 or eakesdj@auburn.edu
** see following itinerary
11th May:        Departure from United States for Milan

12th May:       Arrival at Milan and transfer to hotel on Lake Maggiore. The lake has a microclimate, favouring a wide range of plants. Winters are mild, being sheltered from north winds by the Alps, and the summers are not too hot. There is ample rainfall.  If time allows we will visit the gardens of the Hotel Villa Carlotta, on the lakeside.  Many venerable trees are labelled. Overnight at Lake Maggiore

13th May:       Take the ferry to the Borromea Islands in the middle of the lake. Isola Bella, our first visit is one of the most dramatic baroque gardens in Italy. The terraced, flower-laden gardens are complemented by marble statuary. Then ferry to Isola Pescatori (Fisherman’s Island). No gardens here, but lots of eateries. Afternoon ferry to Isola Madre. The speciality here is the planting of rare sub-tropical trees and shrubs, including styrax, Kashmir cypress, camphor trees, pepper trees. The gardens were originally lemon plantations, replanted as ornamental gardens in 1850. Overnight at Lake Maggiore.

14th May:       Morning visit to Villa Taranto Gardens, founded by Scotsman Neil McEarchern in 1931. He gave the 44 acre estate to the Italian government in 1951. The shrubs and trees are supplemented by annuals in the Summer. A showpiece garden. Free time in Stresa for lunch, followed by a cable car ride to a small Alpine garden. The garden, at an altitude of 4,500 feet, contains some 500 species of alpines. The views are spectacular. Overnight at Lake Maggiore.

15th May:       Today we leave the lake country for Tuscany. The fist visit of the day is in Genoa, the reputed birthplace of Christopher Columbus. The Roseto or rose garden of the Villa Grimaldi Fassio is one of three extensive former villa gardens acquired by the City of Milan. We take the mountainous highway, with many tunnels and viaducts, to Pisa, with its world famous leaning tower. Dinner and overnight in Lucca.

16th May:       Tuscany has a landscape of villas, farmhouses, fields cultivating vines, grain and olives. This is the country of the all powerful medieval Medici family. Morning visit to Villa Reale at Marlia. This baroque garden is one of the most beautiful in Italy. Free time for lunch in the quaint town of Lucca. Early afternoon visit to the Lucca Botanic Garden and a visit to a private garden in the region. Overnight in Lucca.

17th May:      Visit to Cappellini Nurseries, one of Italy’s leading wholesale plant producers. Remainder of the day in Florence, the capital of the region, and a major centre of art. We will see the famous Ponte Vecchio with its shops on the bridge, the colourful cathedral, and the famous Boblio Gardens, laid out by Duke Cosimo de Medici in the 16th century. Statuary is particularly impressive. The old lemon garden is now the rose garden. Overnight in Lucca

18th May:       Leave Lucca. Morning visit to the Bologna Botanic Gardens, founded in 1568.  The 5 acre gardens contain over 5,000 specimens of exotic and local plants, with three greenhouses, two containing tropical plants and the third containing succulents. Afternoon visit to Giusti Garden at Verona. This is one of the oldest renaissance gardens in Northern Italy, and is well maintained. There are unspoilt views to the Tyrol Alps. Overnight Brescia or Bergamo.

19th May:       Transfer to Milan Malpensa Airport for the flight to the United States.

Isola Madre

Villa Taranto