Local News
Growing knowledge for home grown veggies in Palermo
16 October 2026
This summer PUSH, Palermo, working together with European Palermo Youth Center (EPYC) hosted the first of three sessions of Fatti gli orti tuoi, a hands-on workshop series on sustainable home vegetable growing, which were led by Nicola Novello, accomplished photographer and gardener. The workshop brought together 20 local residents, of varying ages, who got their hands dirty testing out sustainable growing techniques in EPYCs courtyard to create a new community edible garden.
Nicola opened the session by sharing his ecosystemic approach to gardening. This means paying close attention to each individual element while never losing sight of the whole system, and observing before taking action. The group explored how to prepare soil rich in organic matter and microorganisms, delved into the study of light, and learned about companion crops: combinations of plants that support each other and grow in synergy.
The workshop then moved from theory to practice in the EPYC courtyard. Working in small groups, participants prepared the soil using the “lasagna” method, planted seedlings, and mulched, a technique that helps retain moisture in the garden. It was a collective effort, and by the end of the workshop a portion of the EPYC courtyard, previously unused bare land, had been transformed into a green edible garden.
Equipped with these new skills, all workshop participants received small plants with encouragement to take their new gardening knowledge beyond EPYC and start their own ecosystemic gardens at home. Through a shared Telegram group and Miro board, participants will now share their home garden progress, exchange advice and tips, and support each other with best practices.
“This is how we are building a distributed network of gardens across the city, each in their own home, but connected within a shared space for discussion, dialogue, and mutual support,” says Emilia Pardi, Associate Director at PUSH.
Once the gardening season has been completed, PUSH will assemble these community resources into a guidance and instruction booklet, to facilitate replication and expand the network of sustainable home gardens across Palermo.
The upcoming sessions of Fatti gli orti tuoi, will further explore best practices for companion plantings and other ecosystemic gardening approaches. Stay tuned!