Workshop : The World of Subtropical Food Trees
— How to Choose, Grow, and Enjoy the Right Trees for Your Mediterranean Garden
Next dates: Saturday, October 3rd 2026
Collection of harvested fruit at the Orchard, in Algarve, in mid-January!
Green fruit happily growing on one of our Carica papaya plants
Beautiful Ziziphus jujuba (Jujube, Chinese date) fruits
Miguel COTTON addressing the class in the Food Tree Academy tent
Morus macroura, or the Pakistan mulberry and its beautiful long berries.
The Food Tree Academy tent, under one of our old Carob trees
The fruit from one of our Elaeagnus x Ebbingei shrubs
Miguel COTTON leading a tour of the botanical garden during a workshop
A hat full of the beautiful and zingy-flavoured Pitanga (Eugenia uniflora) fruit
Tasting freshly harvested fruit: Papaya, Mango, Pomegranate, Guava and Longan
A few fruits from the Orchard
Group photo with one of our classes
One of our Hylocereus undatus cacti, bearing the flashy Pitaya, or Dragon fruit!
Averrhoa carambola, or Star fruit, ripening on one of our trees
Shared lunch is served! A great opportunity to relax and enjoy the company of like-minded folks
October is a particularly abundant time at the Orchard of Flavours: Pomelo, Annona, Mango, Pomegranate, Inga, Lime, Buddha's Hand Lemon, ...
The fruit from Akebia quinata, or the Chocolate vine plant
Who said you'd have to live in Thailand or some other tropical country to taste fresh fruit off the Dimocarpus longan tree?
Food Tree nursery at the Orchard of Flavours, where some of the magic happens
One of the most amazing fruits in the whole world: the almighty Mango
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Mediterranean climates do not limit diversity.
They simply require understanding.
In the Algarve and similar regions, it is possible to grow mangoes, bananas, annonas, avocados, and many rare and delicious food trees — not as curiosities, but as productive garden plants. Success depends less on effort, and more on choosing the right trees for the right place.
This workshop invites you to discover the extraordinary diversity of subtropical food trees, and to enjoy them throughout the year in Mediterranean conditions.
Facilitators:
Âş Miguel COTTON, founder of the Orchard of Flavours
Âş Milan NEPALI, garden manager at the Orchard of Flavours
Location:
Âş Orchard of Flavours Botanical Garden, in Tavira, Portugal
Âş Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/4Qeg8gR1EeUr4pvL8
Time:
9:30 AM —> 4:30 PM
Number of participants:
Âş For quality reasons, limited openings: maximum 18 people per workshop
Language:
Âş English (and possible translation to French)
Price:
Âş 110 EUR contribution per person for the workshop preparation and facilitation
Âş Any extra donation will be used in the development of the Botanical Garden
º If you’re not satisfied, you’ll receive a full refund
Payment conditions:
Âş 50% when booking (non-refundable)
Âş 50% at the Orchard
If you are an Orchard of Flavours member, please use this code to access the discounted price for this workshop: FRUITLOVER20
If you aren't a member yet, learn all about our Membership Program, and join us!
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This workshop is both discovery and practical guidance.
You will explore around 70 subtropical and Mediterranean food trees, and their:
edible uses and flavours
growth habits and climate needs
You will also learn how to select and combine trees using six key criteria:
frost tolerance
soil alkalinity
water salinity
wind exposure
growth speed
pest and disease resistance
The aim is not to reduce your options — it is to make ambitious gardens possible.
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A productive food garden is not defined by one harvest, but by continuity.
This workshop introduces a 12-month harvest calendar, showing how to:
combine early, mid-season, and late fruiting trees
mix evergreen and deciduous species
avoid long “fruit gaps” during the year
With the right selection, Mediterranean gardens can provide fresh fruit almost every month, not just in summer.
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You will learn how to:
explore a wide range of edible subtropical trees with confidence
read your site’s real limits and opportunities
combine bold species with protective companions
design resilient systems instead of isolated trees
plan for continuous harvest across the seasons
All content is presented in clear, accessible language, grounded in real field experience.
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This workshop is for:
gardeners and growers curious about subtropical food trees
people dreaming of mangoes, bananas, annonas, and rare fruits
designers of edible gardens and food forests
anyone who wants abundance without illusion
No technical background is required.
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At Orchard of Flavours Botanical Garden (BGCI accredited), these trees are grown, observed, and harvested across the seasons.
The goal is simple:
To help you choose the right trees, enjoy fruit all year long, and build gardens that last. -
Discovering Subtropical Food Trees
Reading Your Site: Limits and Opportunities
Choosing the Right Trees
Using Protection to Grow More
Designing for Year-Round Harvest
.
—> Complete Table of Contents for this Workshop (PDF Download)
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By the end of the workshop, you will:
Know which subtropical food trees can realistically grow on your site
Understand how to select trees with confidence
Be able to combine protection and diversity intelligently
Have a clear framework for fruit throughout the year
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Bring:
a notebook and a pen
sunblock and a hat
comfortable clothes for working in the garden
water bottle
some food for a shared picnic
In case of rain:
we will go ahead with everything as planned
we have a backup plan to do the workshop in a very nice sheltered area.
The orchard has got ample parking spaces and two dry toilets.
If you have any questions, please feel free to write us an email! miguel@orchardofflavours.com
đź“ť Limited openings
Miguel COTTON, Orchard of Flavours’ founder and workshop instructor
Milan NEPALI, Orchard of Flavours’ garden manager and workshop instructor
Some of the highlights of our “Food Forest & Island of Fertility” workshop, at Orchard of Flavours Botanical Garden, in Tavira. Notice the different subject, but know we put all our effort into every workshop.
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A few comments from previous workshop participants:
“It was very interesting to get to know the "Orchard of Flavours" project, both the theoretical aspects and the practical! It is an especially interesting initiative to the region of Algarve (even if limited to areas where irrigation water is provided to farmers). The workshop gave me a good vision.” — Guida, Portugal
“I really enjoyed the workshop. I feel like I learned a lot and that I now have a structured way to approach the planting of my fruit trees. I have a better understanding of how to care for them and what issues to look out for. I'm also happy to have met a number of other people that are all interested in fruit gardens, it is nice to feel part of a community.” — Emily, Australia
Curious about our other Food Tree Workshops?
Discover what else we are teaching at the “Orchard of Flavours Academy”
Master eco-friendly pest control techniques, like using natural predators. Gain the practical skills to protect and care for your garden, orchard or Food Forest!
The founder of the Orchard of Flavours edible botanical garden as well as two propagation specialists will tell you all their secrets about plant propagation.
The Cocoon Food Forest is a powerful solution to help your food trees thrive! Transform your garden with our proven technique!
If you have any questions, please feel free to write us an email! miguel@orchardofflavours.com