What This Site Is
North Garden Paper publishes practical guides on the use of botanical illustration as a documentation and planning tool for Italian kitchen and herb gardens. The focus is on the orto — the Italian vegetable garden — and the traditions of plant record-keeping associated with Italian horticultural practice.
The articles here draw on the long tradition of Italian botanical documentation, from the foundational work of the Orto Botanico di Padova to current practice among home gardeners and market growers. The content is practical rather than historical: the aim is to provide methods that gardeners can apply directly in their own plots.
What This Site Is Not
This is not a shop, a seed supplier, or a subscription service. There are no products for sale and no membership scheme. The content is freely available to read and use.
This site does not offer personalised garden design or planting consultations. The guides published here are general references; specific local conditions, soil types, and microclimate factors always take precedence over general recommendations.
Geographic Focus
The primary geographic focus is central Italy — Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, and the Marche — with additional reference to northern Italian garden traditions where relevant. The climate conditions, soil types, and heirloom varieties discussed reflect this region. Gardeners in southern Italy or at higher elevations should adjust timing and variety recommendations accordingly.
Sources and Standards
All articles reference publicly available sources where specific claims are made. External links point to established institutions including the Orto Botanico di Padova, the Royal Horticultural Society, and Slow Food's Presidia archive for Italian variety documentation.
Statistical claims and research citations are avoided where they cannot be verified against a specific public source. Where exact data is unavailable, the articles use neutral descriptive language rather than invented figures.
Images
All images used on this site are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons or public domain licences. Direct URLs from the Wikimedia servers are used without modification. Each image is credited at its point of use.
Contact
Correspondence regarding content, corrections, or the subject matter can be sent to: contact@northgardenpaper.eu
Address: Via del Giardino 12, 50123 Florence, Italy.
Response is typically within 3–5 working days. There is no telephone support line.