ZPORS structure
Management
Address of the association
Jamnikarjeva 101
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
Prof. Dr. Valentina Schmitzer is a landscape architect who earned her PhD in the field of Horticulture within the Biosciences study program. She lectures at both the Department of Landscape Architecture and the Department of Agronomy at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, where her courses focus on the selection, placement, and maintenance of plants in both public and private settings, as well as on technical and vegetation details in landscape architecture.
She leads the program council of the Biosciences doctoral study and actively participates in various committees. Notably, she serves as the Chair of the Expert Council of the Arboretum Volčji Potok, collaborating closely with the institution in both educational and professional capacities.
Prof. Schmitzer began her academic career as a junior researcher at the Biotechnical Faculty and was appointed full professorship at the University of Ljubljana in 2024. Her research focuses on studying how environmental and cultivation factors influence physiological changes in plants and the content of primary and secondary metabolites, with a particular interest in plant pigments. She regularly participates in conferences, training programs, and professional meetings both domestically and internationally, strengthening connections with experts and institutions in her field.
Plants have fascinated her since childhood; she fondly recalls planting and caring for them in a well-tended flower garden of her country home. Roses hold a special place in her heart - they have been the subject of her scientific studies, and she has shared her findings at various events dedicated to these beloved plants.
Prof. Dr. Gregor Osterc is an agronomist who earned his doctorate in the field of horticulture. He is employed in the Group for Horticulture at the Department of Agronomy, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, where he lectures in courses related to ornamental plant production, nursery production, and landscape maintenance.
He began his academic career as a young researcher in the Group for Horticulture at the Biotechnical Faculty. During his doctoral studies, he spent four years training at the Department of Horticulture (Fachbereich Gartenbau) at Leibniz University Hannover, where he obtained his doctoral degree (Dr. rer. hort.). His research primarily focuses on root development in plants, especially those that are more difficult to propagate, as well as hormonal changes during root development.
An important contribution of his work is the development of a method for propagating sweet chestnut by cuttings, which facilitates and lowers the costs of the propagation of this species. He is also the curator of the fruit plant gene bank in Slovenia and the author of numerous scientific and professional articles and books.
He is a co-founder of the Association of Ornamental Plant Growers of Slovenia (ZPORS) and served as its first president for 15 years.
Executive Board
The Executive Board (EB) is the executive body of the association and consists of nine (9) members. The Executive Board carries out organizational and administrative tasks and manages the work of the association. It is accountable for its work to the General Assembly (GA), which is composed of all members of the association and meets at the annual meeting. The EB submits reports on the previous year’s activities to the GA and presents the annual work plan.
Executive board members
Prof. Dr. Jerneja Jakopič is a full professor and researcher at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, where she contributes to the development of modern and sustainable horticultural production. She teaches at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, passing on her knowledge and research experience to new generations of professionals.
In her research, she is deeply dedicated to understanding plant functioning and developing innovative approaches to improve production quality. She places particular emphasis on the study of primary and secondary metabolites, as well as the impact of agrotechnical practices and environmental factors on plant growth, development, and quality. Through her work, she actively contributes to the advancement of the field and successfully connects science with the needs of growers, with whom she collaborates through various projects.
She is a board member of the Association of Ornamental Plant Growers of Slovenia and the president of the Professional Fruit Growers Society of Slovenia. Moreover, she actively participates in numerous national and international professional associations.
Matjaž Mastnak, born in 1963, devoted his professional career to horticulture and educational work after completing his studies in forestry. Since 1991, he has been employed at the Volčji Potok Arboretum, where he was appointed director in 2024. In the meantime, he has worked in the fields of nature conservation and education, and among other things, developed scripts for a nature program on RTV Slovenia.
He has written a large number of popular articles for gardening magazines. For several years, he served as editor of the magazines Vrtnar and Proteus. He is a scientific counsellor and a higher education lecturer, as well as a co-author and author of textbooks and books, and a translator. In his professional life, he focuses on woody plants and is best known to the wider public as an expert on roses. He is also active in the field of using trees and shrubs in built environments and in raising awareness on invasive alien ornamental plants.
Prof. Dr. Gregor Osterc is an agronomist who earned his doctorate in the field of horticulture. He is employed in the Group for Horticulture at the Department of Agronomy, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, where he lectures in courses related to ornamental plant production, nursery production, and landscape maintenance.
He began his academic career as a young researcher in the Group for Horticulture at the Biotechnical Faculty. During his doctoral studies, he spent four years training at the Department of Horticulture (Fachbereich Gartenbau) at Leibniz University Hannover, where he obtained his doctoral degree (Dr. rer. hort.). His research primarily focuses on root development in plants, especially those that are more difficult to propagate, as well as hormonal changes during root development.
An important contribution of his work is the development of a method for propagating sweet chestnut by cuttings, which facilitates and lowers the costs of the propagation of this species. He is also the curator of the fruit plant gene bank in Slovenia and the author of numerous scientific and professional articles and books.
He is a co-founder of the Association of Ornamental Plant Growers of Slovenia (ZPORS) and served as its first president for 15 years.
Prof. Dr. Valentina Schmitzer is a landscape architect who earned her PhD in the field of Horticulture within the Biosciences study program. She lectures at both the Department of Landscape Architecture and the Department of Agronomy at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, where her courses focus on the selection, placement, and maintenance of plants in both public and private settings, as well as on technical and vegetation details in landscape architecture.
She leads the program council of the Biosciences doctoral study and actively participates in various committees. Notably, she serves as the Chair of the Expert Council of the Arboretum Volčji Potok, collaborating closely with the institution in both educational and professional capacities.
Prof. Schmitzer began her academic career as a junior researcher at the Biotechnical Faculty and was appointed full professorship at the University of Ljubljana in 2024. Her research focuses on studying how environmental and cultivation factors influence physiological changes in plants and the content of primary and secondary metabolites, with a particular interest in plant pigments. She regularly participates in conferences, training programs, and professional meetings both domestically and internationally, strengthening connections with experts and institutions in her field.
Plants have fascinated her since childhood; she fondly recalls planting and caring for them in a well-tended flower garden of her country home. Roses hold a special place in her heart - they have been the subject of her scientific studies, and she has shared her findings at various events dedicated to these beloved plants.
Bernarda Strgar is a Slovenian biologist who followed her passion for plants to London, where she studied garden design. Today, she runs a perennial nursery, designs private gardens and public green spaces, gives lectures, writes articles, and regularly appears on radio and television programs in Slovenia.
With more than 30 years of experience at the Trajnice Strgar nursery in Ljubljana, she cultivates over 900 different perennial species and varieties for both private clients and professional landscapers. Together with a small team, she also implements her garden designs and provides ongoing maintenance of perennial and mixed plantings.
Believing strongly in the importance of experimentation in planting design, she has established trial beds, green roofs, and mixed rose–perennial plantings at her nursery to test and develop new plant combinations.
Supervisory board
The Supervisory Board (SB) is the supervisory body of the association. It consists of three (3) members elected by the General Assembly (GA). The Supervisory Board oversees the financial and proposed professional operations of the association, monitors the work of the Executive Board (EB), reviews the annual report, and reports on its activities as well as on the adequacy of the annual and financial reports.
