Mario Faro, CEO, Piante Faro & Sergio Cumitini, Radicepura Garden Festival - 11 September 2024

Chaos (and) Order in the Garden, Radicepura Garden Festival Edition V Piante Faro and Mediterranean Plants in a Global Market Mario Faro discusses the origins and evolution of Piante Faro, the shifts in the global production and export market of Mediterranean plants and their integration into other landscapes and the international horticultural zeitgeist through the establishment of the Radicepura Foundation, the Radicepura Botanical Park, and the Radicepura Garden Festival. Mario is co-leader of Piante Faro alongside his brother Michele. The horticultural company was established by their father over 50 years ago and is a prominent player in the Mediterranean plants industry in Europe. The family established the Radicepura Foundation in 2017 to promote the Mediterranean landscape and culture as a means for sustainable territorial development through the vehicles of Radicepura Botanical Park and the Radicepura Garden Festival. Chaos (and) Order in the Garden - Radicepura Garden Festival - Edition V The Radicepura Garden Festival was established in 2017 as the first international initiative dedicated to Mediterranean Garden design and landscape architecture. The biennial event includes showcase gardens, meetings, conferences and workshops with cultural, artistic and scientific themes enhanced by discussions with internationally renowned experts and artists. Sergio Cumitini discusses the history and the future of the event which in 2025 will be titled Chaos and Order in the Garden. Originally from Catania, Sergio is a horticulturist, with expertise in agricultural sciences. In 2001 he was awarded a grant by the Royal Horticultural Society to research the cultivation and use of drought-resistant plants and has since become a recognized expert in drought-resistant plants and other climate-change related issues. He has carried out numerous internships in the UK at Wisley Garden, Sir Harold Hillier, Tresco, and the National Botanic Garden of Wales and is also volunteer consultant for Bristol University's Botanical Garden. Sergio has collaborated with the Radicepura Foundation since 2014.