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 still own today. I bought Rocky Dale Gardens in 2004 and have happily settled back into Vermont near old friends and family. Husband David, while gainfully employed as an architect in Boston has enjoyed participating in nursery chores and growing the family vegetable garden behind the greenhouse. His design expertise and roots in hard work, (he’s from a farm family in central Minnesota) have endeared him to all of us. We love his help!
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 Voz
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.
Gene Lauer
I graduated with a BArch from the University of Michigan and practiced architecture in Ottawa, Ontario and Winterthur, Switzerland before moving to Vermont in 1977. Visiting the incredible gardens in Europe had inspired an early career change, from architecture to landscaping, and that year I co-founded Siteworks, a design and contracting firm that kept me happily engaged, and “growing” for decades. I joined the team at Rocky Dale Gardens in 2018, which has allowed me to continue to enjoy my life’s work — creating amazing gardens with healthy, unusual, and beautiful plants. Indeed, my first season there I probably “reinvested” most of my paycheck into Rocky Dale, bringing home enough plant material to create my own botanical garden at home — much to the delight of family and friends. It’s still evolving, as are the wonderful gardens here at Rocky Dale.
Kristine Ference
I came to Rocky Dale Gardens in 2019 after a 5 year sojourn to Wisconsin and Oregon. My "roots" in the gardening business were planted at a family owned garden center in Rutland, Vt. 20 years ago. During that time, I started a one woman gardening biz, that's still going strong today. I am grateful for the constant inspiration, beauty, and knowledge that Rocky Dale provides to all.