The People Behind Plantelvica
Plantelvica is maintained by a small, dedicated team of horticulturalists, garden writers and digital specialists who share a genuine passion for Swiss gardening. Each member brings a distinct background — from professional landscape design to smallholder farming — but all are united by a commitment to producing trustworthy, practical gardening content. Our team regularly visits gardens, trials plants in test plots across different Swiss cantons and stays current with research from Swiss and European agricultural institutions.
Maren Vollrath
Head of Horticultural Content
Maren has worked in professional horticulture for over fifteen years, with a particular focus on vegetable cultivation in cool-temperate climates. She leads the development of Plantelvica's planting calendars and validates all seasonal timing recommendations against Swiss meteorological records. Maren maintains a large kitchen garden in canton Bern where she trials new varieties each season.
Jonas Rebsamen
Soil Science & Garden Preparation Specialist
Jonas holds a degree in environmental science and spent seven years advising Swiss smallholders on soil management before joining Plantelvica. He is responsible for all soil preparation and amendment guides on the site, ensuring recommendations reflect the range of soil types found across Switzerland's cantons. His practical approach emphasises minimal-input methods that build soil fertility over multiple seasons.
Céline Aubert
Flower & Ornamental Plant Writer
Céline trained as a landscape designer in Lausanne and has since specialised in ornamental planting for Swiss gardens, with expertise in alpine and native flora. She writes Plantelvica's flower cultivation guides and companion planting resources, drawing on experience with both private gardens and public green spaces in the Romandy region. Céline is a strong advocate for integrating native plants into everyday garden design.
Tobias Grunder
Digital Editor & Content Strategist
Tobias oversees the structure, readability and ongoing accuracy of content across the Plantelvica website. With a background in science communication, he works closely with the horticultural team to ensure complex information is presented clearly and updated promptly each season. He coordinates reader feedback channels and uses survey data to guide content prioritisation.
Annelise Kraft
Research & Regional Content Coordinator
Annelise is responsible for expanding Plantelvica's regional content, mapping climate data from Switzerland's main growing zones onto practical gardening advice. She maintains relationships with Swiss agricultural research stations and monitors new publications from Agroscope and cantonal advisory services. Her work ensures that Plantelvica's recommendations remain grounded in current, Switzerland-specific evidence.