Boschetto or "The Little Wood" is the only sizeable spot of green
in the island. It is not a formal garden like Argotti or San Anton.
It is rather an informal park laid out in the spacious valley beneath
Verdala Castle. A large tree-lined enclosure serves as private garden
to the castle.
The public park area is planted with centuries - old trees, mostly
pine, cypress, ash, olive and some evergreen oak. Green orchards
and citrus groves cover the slopes and the lower reaches of the valley.
A rustic grotto, with a pool of spring water, decorates the large
open space at one end of the garden. This square is a popular
meeting place for picnic parties and for playing children. The annual
Horticultural Show and Folk Festival are held in this location on the
28th of June, the eve of the Imnarja festivities. Thousands of people
from all parts of the island flock to the place to spend a night of
celebrations with local food, wine and folk-singing.
Paved passages, lined with trees and green shrubs, provide
pleasant walks inside the park. Nature lovers can prolong their
ramblings in the green valley which extends eastward from the castle.
