On May 29, 2025, the Palazzi Community Center hosted Tiziano Codiferro for a 'La Botanica' event. The Terrarium: How to Build and Maintain It taught community members about how to make their own terrarium at home in a step-by-step demonstration. Before the event started, we sat down with the master gardener, Tiziano Codiferro, to discuss his specialized work and gather his opinions on the art of gardening.

While talking with Codiferro, we found out that his gardening career began in August of 2008 when he switched from his rigorous corporate job to focus on the art of gardening and plants. He began by teaching a class in Milan on the basics of gardening on October 1^st of that same year. Afterwards, he moved to Japan to work alongside another artist to learn about the Japanese significance of art and plants. After a month, he moved back to Florence to start his own company, which is quite uncommon in Florentine culture. His company focused on providing classes and creating a new curriculum for those interested in starting their own garden. This type of organization was unheard of and filled a labor gap in the Italian workforce, providing a new generation of master gardeners. Later, he spoke about how he used to collaborate with other artists and peers from other companies. However, now, he prefers to do more solo work as the job is very physically demanding but also needs to have the right mindset to follow through on these projects.

Codiferro began to dive into his thoughts on the younger generation’s work ethic, stating “young Italian kids, the boys, don’t like to work.” He explained that Italian kids don’t typically leave home and get outside their comfort zone, instead staying home as long as they can. While speaking to all American study abroad students, he said “you all probably felt [empowered], like you could leave home and go work as soon as you finished school. Italian kids don’t do that; they sit around all day and relax instead of getting jobs.” He went on to explain that unlike Americans, Italians are not pushed to go and get jobs right out of school, leaving a gap in crafted professions. He went on to state that kids aren’t learning to master or specialize in a profession and don’t want to take the time to learn the craft. “If you want to master a job, it takes 6 to 8 years and the first 2 years you don’t touch anything, only observe. But now, kids will watch 1 or 2 lessons and convince themselves that they are masters already.” Later, he went on to explain how the Italians have a great demand for gardeners to help upkeep the beautiful greenery of the country. However, there are not enough experienced gardeners to keep up with the tasks in demand, leaving a gap in the Italian workforce.

This conversation with Codiferro was then followed by his event at the Palazzi Community Center, introducing small scale gardening, in the form of a terrarium, bringing the art of gardening to Florence. By presenting to a small group of interested locals, Codiferro is able to showcase his work and potentially spark inspiration for students into the field of horticulture. Though Codiferro prefers to work alone, he was able to capture the attention of a group of community attendees and students in attendance as he explained what a terrarium is and how to start your own garden at home. During his presentation he kept his audience captivated by interacting with them through his process. The locals spoke up to ask questions which sparked several connection building conversations between him and his audience. It was made clear Codiferro cares deeply about his work as well as planting the seed in others to expand their skills and express their own artistic side. He has made a living teaching the art of gardening to locals for decades, leaving an everlasting impact on the horticulture community.

Codiferro was unable to disclose the specific details of his new and upcoming projects. However, he gave us a little insight into some of his current tasks. Currently, he is in the process of providing plants to a photography studio in Milan. Additionally, he is tracking down some rare plants for a historical company in Florence to use in an upcoming project. This includes the Bizarre Lemon and various rare species of lavender.