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Terra Nostra Garden will fill with colorful camellias in the coming weeks

Terra Nostra Garden will fill with colorful camellias in the coming weeks

24 Feb 2023

It is one of the best excuses to visit this landmark in the Azores. It will be epic.

Between February 24 and March 26, Terra Nostra Garden in Furnas, São Miguel Island, will be painted with different colors. It isn't a Carnival celebration, but to welcome the Blooming of the Camellias. The exceptional Camellia Collection earned the Camellia Garden of Excellence certificate, awarded by the International Camellia Society in 2014.
 

This year, the exhibition moves from the Casino to the Furnas Multipurpose Pavillion on February 25 and 26. The rest of the activities and plants will be at Terra Nostra Garden. To see them, you can participate in the guided tours that will take place on March 11 and 18 between 2 and 3 p.m. and will cost 15 €. Advanced registration is required and can be made at the reception of Terra Nostra Hotel or by telephone (296 549 090).

The celebration will include the Camellia Workshop in São Miguel on March 4 at Terra Nostra Garden. Taught by agricultural engineer Carina Costa, it will start at 2 p.m. and last four hours. Topics include the history of the camellia, the plant's different uses, and its garden cultivation.
 

To conclude, participants are invited to watch a masterclass by chef Nuno Gonçalves, who will prepare an Azorean fish ceviche, a pickle, and Japanese Camellia tempura that you will get to savor. Registration is 40 € per person.

Terra Nostra Garden Hotel also joins the celebrations for its colorful décor of the space. In addition, the spa will have a treatment with Camellia japonica as one of the main active product ingredients. This treatment consists of a facial lifting that combines anti-aging massage techniques to stimulate the immune system and guarantees, purifies, and detoxifies the skin.

 

If you cannot experience the full splendor of the Camellia Collection in person, take a virtual tour of the Garden and discover a variety of species and cultivars at Terra Nostra Garden. It is open to everyone on the hotel website.

 

The Garden's collection is known for its beauty. Some camellia varieties are over 100 years old and were brought by Marquis da Praia and Monforte around 1872. In the 1990s, head gardener Fernando Costa decided to focus on those flowers, as they adapted perfectly to the Azorean climate. He began introducing this species from around the world, namely North America, the Netherlands, Spain, and mainland Portugal. There are currently more than 800 camellias in the Garden.

Some of the activities will take place at Terra Nostra Garden Hotel, which, in 2022, was considered Europe's "Best Countryside Hotel" in the Condé Nast Johansens Excellence Awards.
Check out the gallery to explore this Azorean landmark.

Source: NIT