willing, able and happy to help!
David and Ed
I, (Ed) grew up in Queens, NY and settled in Newport, VT at 16 with my retired parents and 2 siblings (we were the only ones still living at home out of 9 siblings!). I graduated from UVM with a BS and moved to Minneapolis in 1980 where I started a landscape company called Phillips Garden (that I finally sold to an employee in December of 2025). I bought Rocky Dale Gardens in 2004 and have happily settled back into Vermont near old friends and family. Husband David, retired from his architecture firm in Boston and has enjoyed moving in permanently and participating in nursery chores and growing our vegetable garden. His design expertise and roots in hard work, (he’s from a farm family in central Minnesota) have come in handy here at Rocky Dale!
Amy Olmsted
I came to Rocky Dale Garden in the fall of 2009 after 20 years managing the perennial department for a large nursery in Massachusetts. I have a passionate love of perennials and belong to a number of plant societies, my favorite being The American Primrose Society for which I manage the seed exchange. When not playing with plants at Rocky Dale, I can be found gardening in the shade of the large pine trees around my home, hiking the trails of Vermont with my husband Steve or giving guided wildflower walks at Mount Independence in Orwell.
Karen Krajacic
Gardening is medicinal. I pursued it as a hobby for several years, and when it became time to change career paths, I knew I wanted to aspire to be a professional plant-whisperer. I focused on greenhouse work for a few seasons, then expanded into perennials, and now at Rocky Dale I'm stretching further into trees and shrubs. Every year I learn more and appreciate more. It's a joy to be able to help others also experience this wonderful way to connect with ourselves and to the Earth.
Linzy Vos
I started working with plants professionally at 17, and though there were some years spent considering another career, in 2010 I returned to horticulture never looked back. While I am grateful to have acquired a wide array of skills, it turns out that plants will always hold my heart. I’ve been a landscaper, heavy equipment operator, gardener, and greenhouse and nursery grower. Now I work primarily for the production side of Rocky Dale — growing and propagating specimens available for sale. I am a board member of the Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association, and a Vermont Certified Horticulturist. When I’m not working with plants at RDG or in my own gardens at home, I continue the long task of renovating the little cottage in the woods I share with my partner and our pets, and am learning to sail my very own sailboat with the help of friends.
Robin Andresen
I have been a major tree enthusiast since I was 17, and came to Vermont to study the forests of New England. I graduated Middlebury College Feb ’24 with a bachelors in Biology and Environmental Studies. My love of horticulture began during a summer internship at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. After that I spent two seasons as a gardener at Windfall Orchard in Cornwall, VT, and did a stint as a research assistant in a moss lab at Midd. I joined Rocky Dale spring ’25, and have been thrilled to learn from such a wonderful group of mentors in a gorgeous garden environment. I live in Bristol with my parter Allison. In my free time I enjoy making pickles, dancing, foraging mushrooms and guerrilla gardening.
Marianne Eaton
Act 3. Adventures at Rocky Dale.
Life is a never ending exploration mixed with opportunities for adventure. A global traveler, photographer and life-long learner, my Act 3 includes learning how to nurture infant plants on their journey to become healthy teenagers for sale. I live a sheltered life under the hoop house, content to learn the recipes for each newly arrived plant while listening to the river below. My teacher, Linzy, is a fantastic educator and I take her lessons home to cultivate this newly found appreciation for what plants can teach.
My former life as a marketer through video production is still embedded in my creative endeavors. I live happily in New Haven with my partner, Fernando, and my cat, Poppy.