CSun Mediterranean Lima for many months a year, plants and flowers with bright colors and intoxicated perfumes, the blue of the sea which dialogues with the strong colors of the land and of the volcanic rock. The Sicilian landscape is a concentrate of beauty. In this scenario, in Giarre, between the Etna and the Ionian Sea, it is held on a two -year basis Radicepura Garden Festivalthe international event consecrated to the design of green, born with the aim of enhancing the territory through the promotion of the southern landscape.
Radicepura Garden Festival 2025
The fifth edition, inaugurated last May (open to the public until 7 December, Radicepura.it) is as always hosted in the Radicepura Botanical Park born from the passion of the family of Faro nurserymen. Five hectares of green riot with three thousand species and five thousand varieties of plants Among which to walk between green installations and works of art. In a world marked with wars and climate change, the Festival chose the theme Chaos (and) Order in the Garden as inspiration.
“From chaos, nature is reborn and ideas are reorganized,” says artistic director Antonio Perazzi. “The garden in this historical moment is at the turn of the natural and artificial, and projects carried out give space to the slow times of nature, revealing the possibility of creating amazement and wonder, satisfying the development without strict design canons, a way to respect the environment and ecosystems”.
The success of rooted as a place of comparison and dialogue He is attested by the applications for participation of young architects and landscapes under 36 from all over the world. There are only 10 garden projects selected and created. “We chose them between 1100 registrations that came from 60 countries,” Mario Faro, general manager of Radicepura Garden Festival.
At the Radicepura Garden Festival the landscapes of tomorrow
I woman He gave voice to four young designers in competition.
Giada Straci and Monica Torrisi – architect
They work in Catania. They created the wild garden “Mira”
How did you play the theme of the Festival?
We have designed the staging of two opposite worlds, divided by a perforated white wall, which filters the image of the garden. On the one hand there is chaos, that is, the complexity of nature. On the other hand, the geometric order of the windows reigns, which focus on the gaze of visitors on the details of the plants.
How does climate change affect your works?
In the face of prolonged drought and hot torrid alternating with torrential rains or drastic decrease in temperatures, a green design is needed that re -evaluates resilient, local and wild botanical species. The 18 species chosen by us belong to the Mediterranean scrub. They do not require constant irrigation, they are a solution for the future.
Radicepura Garden Festival 2025: the Giardini di Mira Monica and Giada Torrisi. (Photo: Alfio Garozzo)
What plants have you chosen?
Laurel, strawberry tree, hawthorn, myrtle and fig of India stand out. Species that give, in different seasons, wonderful blooms. They are present on our territory and recognizable by people.
Does nature inspire you?
We are very close to the Etna landscape. We fascinate the strength of a vegetation that thrives in such a difficult environment. Walks in nature have become botany and aesthetic lessons. Euforbia, acanthus, artemisia, lentisco, Ginestra, can be admired from the mountains to the sea.
Rose Tan – Landscape architect in Hong Kong and Australia
With Koni Chan he made the garden “intricate dance of harmonious contrast”
How did you play the theme of the Festival?
We started from this question: what defines chaos and what embodies order in the world? The project juxtaposes the plants to the rigidity of the concrete. Through the representation of the cracks, the interaction between chaos and order unfolds. The two forces are committed to a dance, intertwining to create a harmonious whole that invites the public to reflect.
How does climate change affect your works?
Global warming is an increasingly critical problem for our profession. We explore the relationship between nature and construction materials, using concrete, which captures CO2, in contrast to the green.
Radicepura Garden Festival 2025: “Intraiced Dance of Harmonic Contrast” The garden of Rose Tan and Koni Chan (photo: Alfio Garozzo)
What plants have you chosen?
We have selected a variety of Sicilian native species, which contribute to strengthening the presence of wildlife.
Does nature inspire you?
Nature finds a way to thrive, expanding its presence and demonstrating both strength and adaptability. The way he resists challenges is a powerful lesson for humanity.
Marta Gamarro Spanish architect transplanted in England
He works with his brother Fernando, with whom he created the Mediterranean Garden “Patio”
How did you play the theme of the Festival?
The vases are fundamental in the Andalusian patio (courtyard, ed.). The ups and downs of terracotta vases create borders, giving a sense of continuity that extends from the walls to the ceiling. The natural light, combined with the colors and perfumes of herbs and plants, offers a unique sensory experience. We expect that the current “order” becomes a wild chaos when the plants begin to grow and cover the roof and the columns. We are impatient to see how our garden will evolve.
How does climate change affect your works?
We need much more attention, since we must take into account the life cycle of each element – plants, materials, water – which is part of the project. Everything matters to guarantee a sustainable design. It is a request that also comes from customers, increasingly informed and sensitive to this issue.
Radicepura Garden Festival 2025: the “patio” garden of Marta and Ferrando Gamarro. (Photo: Alfio Garozzo)
What plants have you chosen?
We used the Mediterranean green we see in Andalusi patio. An excellent example is Bougainvillea. These are plants that positively contribute to biodiversity by attracting pollinators such as Colibrì and butterflies. With their brightly colored flowers and their dense growth, dense, they can provide a habitat for insects and other small animals.
Does nature inspire you?
Yes. Nature is incredibly stimulating and unpredictable, as we humans are sometimes too. It can be directed in one direction, but it is impossible to provide the result. He has something we can’t control. Fight in any circumstance, adapts to any situation, making us understand how powerful it is. There is a lot to learn from mother nature.
Parita Jani – Landscape architect
He works in Vadodara (India). With Urvish Bhatt signs “The turbulent garden”
How did you play the theme of the Festival?
The project tells how a garden can be both an ecologically resilient system and a work of art. Planting replicate the chaos of natural vegetation. A scheme inspired by abstract art is superimposed on this model.
How does climate change affect your works?
We try to respond to the unpredictability of the time, with plants capable of adapting, reducing maintenance and irrigation.
Radicepura Garden Festival 2025: “The turbulent garden” by Parita Jani and Urvish Bhatt. (Photo: Alfio Garozzo)
What plants have you chosen?
Very tenacious stipa and Muhlenbergia Capillaris offering shelter and seeds for insects and birds; Salvia Leucantha, Lavandula Stoechas And Russelia Equisetiformis attract pollinators; Leptospermum Scoparium And Agapanthus Africanus they bring beauty.
Does nature inspire you?
Yes, its ability to regenerate itself, adapt and survive in the most difficult conditions reflects a peaceful force that we try to reproduce in our design. It reminds us that the gardens are not static, but living systems in motion.
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