Life has a way of gently guiding us toward what is meant to be. I’ve always believed that a little magic happens when we follow that guidance—and that friction tends to appear when we try to fight the flow.
Giardino Foresta began by following that flow.
After years of working in creative fields, I found myself longing for something that brought together the things I had always loved: nature, growing, learning, creating, and sharing. When my husband and I bought our home on a few acres in Charlottesville, Virginia, one of the first things we did was plant a garden. Over time, that garden grew into Giardino Foresta.
The name means “Forest Garden,” a nod to the garden growing among the trees where my family lives and to my Sicilian roots.
While flowers were the beginning, herbs and saffron soon began taking the spotlight. Today, they are at the heart of the farm.
Giardino Foresta is a small-batch herb and saffron farm rooted in seasonal living, thoughtful growing, and a deep appreciation for the natural world. We grow what we can, use what the land provides, and create products that bring those flavors from our garden into your kitchen.
But this farm has never really been about flowers—or even herbs.
It has always been about cultivating a deeper relationship with nature and inviting others into that relationship, too.
I believe food is one of the most powerful ways we connect with the natural world. Nature gives us everything we need to nourish ourselves, along with an extraordinary array of colors, aromas, textures, and flavors to experience.
My hope is that Giardino Foresta encourages you to slow down enough to notice them.
Meet Alicia
I am the heart and hands behind Giardino Foresta. I’ve been gardening since I knew how to walk. Or at least that’s what I’ve been told!
I grew up in Northern Virginia, where my parents transformed their suburban backyard into a little oasis filled with fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers. Some of my earliest memories are of wandering into the garden to pick something fresh to eat. Nothing quite compares to food grown in your own backyard.
I was also a science kid, filling my school schedule with biology and other sciences. Looking back, I realize that every science fair project I chose had something to do with plants.
Eventually, my natural creativity led me into the arts. I studied theatrical scenic design and technology at VCU and spent my early career designing, teaching, building, and creating. I loved that work, but the gardener in me never really went away. Even living in city apartments, I was growing in pots wherever I could.
When life eventually gave me an opportunity to reconsider what came next, I decided to stop trying to choose between the things I loved and bring them together instead.
That became Giardino Foresta.
Today, I get to combine my lifelong curiosity about botany and nature with my love of food, design, and hospitality. I love growing food. I love cooking it. I love eating it. And perhaps most of all, I love sharing it.
That spirit is at the heart of everything I grow and create.
I want herbs to be more than something tucked away in a spice cabinet. I want you to notice them—to experience the differences between varieties, appreciate their aromas and flavors, and discover the pleasure of cooking with something grown with care. Something worth slowing down for, savoring, and sharing.
I’m here to share what I grow, what I learn, and the little bits of magic I continue to discover in the natural world.
Because there is so much wonder here, if we take the time to notice it.
