The People Behind Alpiflora
Alpiflora is built and maintained by a small team of practising horticulturalists, garden designers, and science communicators who live and garden in Switzerland. We bring together expertise from different regions and disciplines to ensure our content reflects the real diversity of Swiss growing conditions. Everyone on the team has direct experience working with Swiss homeowners in a professional capacity, which keeps our advice grounded in practical reality.
Martina Brechbühl
Founder & Lead Horticulturalist
Martina holds a diploma in applied horticulture from the Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften and has spent 14 years consulting on private garden projects across the Mittelland and Bernese Oberland. She founded Alpiflora after recognising that homeowners consistently received advice calibrated for climates unlike their own. She oversees all planting calendar content and regional soil guides.
Lukas Ferreira-Wyss
Garden Designer & Alpine Plant Specialist
Lukas trained as a landscape architect in Basel and subsequently specialised in native alpine and subalpine flora through extensive fieldwork in the Valais and Graubünden. His work focuses on creating gardens that integrate seamlessly with their mountain surroundings while remaining practical for owners with limited maintenance time. He authors Alpiflora's native plant profiles and alpine zone regional guides.
Céline Pauchard
Soil Scientist & Composting Advisor
Céline completed a postgraduate certificate in soil ecology and has worked with Swiss agricultural extension services advising smallholders and large kitchen gardeners on soil health improvement strategies. She joined Alpiflora to translate soil science into practical guidance that homeowners can apply without specialist equipment. Her contributions include the soil preparation guides, composting resources, and fertiliser recommendation frameworks.
Simon Räber
Content Editor & Gardening Writer
Simon is a trained journalist with a background in environmental science who has written for Swiss horticultural and lifestyle publications for over a decade. He ensures that Alpiflora's technical content is communicated clearly, accurately, and without unnecessary jargon across all audience levels. He also manages the community resource directory and maintains relationships with regional nurseries featured on the site.
Annette Dufour-Meier
Ticino & Southern Regions Specialist
Annette is based in Bellinzona and has spent 11 years designing and maintaining gardens in Ticino's distinctive Mediterranean-influenced climate. She provides Alpiflora with direct expertise on the region's specific plant palette, drought management strategies, and the particular pest and disease challenges that arise in warmer Swiss winters. Her regional spotlights are among the most detailed content on the site.