A native of Monterey, California, Alejandro Capriles was raised in Caracas, Venezuela where his passion for gardens developed at an early age thanks to the natural beauty of the country and a family of avid and professional horticulturists. His studies took him first to Oxford, UK, then back to California where he completed his studies in landscape architecture and ornamental horticulture, both at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. His passion for orchids led him to become the Cattleya hybridizer for Stewart orchids in San Gabriel, California, as well as an accredited judge of the American Orchid Society, Pacific South region, where he also became the student judge training coordinator. He was later brought to the attention of the Orchid Digest, where he worked as editor for ten years until his transfer to Italy in 2002. He is a published author as well as a recognized speaker in three languages, and currently juggles his time between landscaping projects, orchid judging duties and artistic exhibitions in Europe and the US.
Alec Capriles
Lisa Finerty moved from Santa Barbara, California to Rome again in 2002. The landscape and flora were almost identical to the ones she had left behind but the ruins found in and among were a bonus. She got a B.A. from Carleton College, where she studied Medieval History, a graduate degree from Northwestern University and ultimately was a VP at Merrill Lynch, working on the Chicago exchanges and in the Sears Tower. A Master Gardener, she was appointed one of Chicago’s ambassadors to the downstate community by the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension and later was appointed to the 1999-2000 Civil Grand Jury for Santa Barbara County working on land management and ground-table water issues. Visiting the historical gardens of Italy combines all these interests and provides continuing inspiration for the landscaping of a ten-acre farm in Umbria, which yielded its first harvest of firewood, peaches and lavender last year. Lisa, her husband and two children love living in Rome and Otricoli and each day appreciate the romance that is easily discovered in the Eternal City.
Patricia Glee Smith – Painter and etcher. Pat is as much at home in the center of NYC as she is in her vegetable garden in Otricoli, Umbria (population: 500). Her art and architectural drawings also are comfortable and intimate, whether showcased in museums or in country kitchens. Formally trained in painting and art history at the University of Illinois and etching at the Scuola del Libro in Urbino, Italy, Pat's landscape murals are shown in private residences and public buildings in Europe and the United States. Pat has been the recipient of numerous fellowships, including residence at the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire. She has exhibited worldwide, and we have seen her illustrations in books and magazines, including The New Yorker. She has been the expedition artist for archaeological expeditions in Turkey, the Yemen and Tibet. Painting with a one-hair brush, she sees beauty -- both natural and man-made -- that most of us miss in the moment. Her painting-etching studio is in Otricoli. To see examples of her work, click here.
Pat Smith
Ken Griffith’s vegetables-as-art garden in southern Wales is known even outside the UK, as is his loyal support of community gardens, formal and popular, in both his hometowns of Llandeillo and Rome. He has been the subject of BBC documentaries and his interest and knowledge as a gardener --and his professional anecdotes of life as a theatrical and literary agent and school days at Marlborough --makes any garden visit with Ken a party, because, as much as he loves gardens, his true hobby is people.
Ken Griffiths
ABOUT US
