This month many of us are looking forward to the spring, when the weather warms up and we can get out in the fresh air a bit more. Spring is one of the best times to visit Italy – the temperatures are starting to get warmer but it’s not too hot, there are often less tourists than in the summer months, and there are so many beautiful flowers in bloom. It’s a great time of year to be out and about, whether it’s in the garden, in the countryside or walking in the parks in the towns and cities throughout Italy.
If you like gardening, flowers and plants, and would like to be able to talk about them in Italian, then this language lesson is just right for you!
So how do you say ‘gardening’ in Italian? ‘Giardinaggio’ is the word for gardening, and the verb to use with it is ‘fare’. ‘Fare’ is an irregular verb that we’ve covered in previous language articles, so if you need a reminder see here. You might need to go a garden centre or plant nursery to get your supplies, in Italian this is called ‘un vivaio’ or ‘un centro di giardinaggio’.
Here you can find:
Le piante – Plants
I fiori – Flowers
Gli alberi – Trees
Gli arbusti – Shrubs
I bulbi – Bulbs
I semi - Seeds
I cesti sospesi – Hanging baskets
Il compost – Compost
Il fertilizzante – Fertiliser
Attrezzi da giardinaggio – Gardening tools
The word for garden in Italian is ‘il giardino’ and if you are lucky enough to have a vegetable garden in your home then this would be ‘l’orto’ in Italian. Here are some verbs which may be useful to talk about planting, growing and looking after your plants in your ‘giardino’ or ‘orto’:
Piantare – to plant
Concimare – to fertilise
Coltivare – to grow
Fiorire – to flower, to blossom
Sbocciare – to bloom
Innaffiare - to water
If you have a vegetable garden, perhaps you grow some herbs such as ‘il prezzemolo’ – parsley or ‘il basilico’ – basil. In spring in Italy you could also grow a wide range of fruit and vegetables. Here is a selection:
Le carote – Carrots
I porri – Leeks
Il sedano – Celery
Il cavolo – Cabbage
Le melanzane – Aubergines
La rucola – Rocket
Gli spinaci – Spinach
Le zucchine – Courgettes
I peperoni – Peppers
I pomodori – Tomatoes
Maybe you also enjoy growing flowers in your garden? Well here are the names of some of the most common flowers that you see in Italy in the spring and summer months:
I gerani – Geraniums
Le primule – Primroses
I tulipani – Tulips
Le begonie – Begonias
I crochi – Crocuses
Le fresie – Freesias
La lavanda – Lavander
I narcisi – Narcissus
Le margherite – Daisies
Le gerbere – Gerbera daisies
Le rose – Roses
I girasoli – Sunflowers
I gigli - Lillies
Let’s not forget ‘le mimose’ (mimosas). On 8th March throughout Italy, you often see women carrying bunches of these yellow flowers, as they are often given to them to celebrate International Women’s Day. This day is known in Italian as La festa della donna.
Che bei fiori! Such beautiful flowers!
