Here at Sam Bridge Nursery and Greenhouses we pride ourselves on our superior customer service and knowledgeable staff. We have been providing expert advice to our customers since 1930. Throughout the year our staff attends many industry conferences, trade shows, and open houses to ensure the most current and accurate information is passed onto you. If you have any questions please feel free to call us or stop by and we will be happy to answer it for you.
 Name: Sam Bridge III
Job Title: Owner/ General Manager
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: Lots
Education & Industry Experience:
B.S. in Landscape and Nursery Management from Colorado State University 1976
Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional 1980
Past President of Westchester Fairfield Horticulture Society
Past President of Connecticut Nursery and Landscape Association
Past President of Connecticut Nurseryman’s Foundation
Current Member of the Greenwich Tree Conservancy Advisory Board
Awards: CNLA (Connecticut Nursery and landscape Association) Recognition of Outstanding Service to the Association 2001: Sam Bridge III for Service on the Board of Directors 1995-2001 and as President 1999-2000 and for His Service to the state’s nursery and landscape Industry
Hobbies: Sam is an avid skier and boater
Favorite Plants: Mandevilla, Dogwoods, Nyssa, Pansies and the last plant he sold.
 Name: Mary Jo Bridge Palmer
Job Title: Owner/Retail Manager
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: Many
Education and Industry Experience:
Connecticut Nursery Accredited Professional
Floriculture certificate from the Ratcliff Hicks School of Agriculture at the University of Connecticut
Besides previously teaching for Greenwich Continuing Education, garden clubs, and the New York Botanical Garden, she offers free classes throughout the year at the nursery.
Has served as president of the Westchester & Fairfield Horticultural Society and remains on the board
Perennial Plant Association 2004 NYC Site Committee
Greenwich Architectural Review Board
Awards: The Garden Club of America Acknowledges the Significant Contribution to Horticulture 1995: Mary Jo Bridge Palmer “in recognition of the knowledge and love of horticulture she shares most generously with all.”
Hobbies: Gardening, Harley Davidson’s and Travel
Favorite Plants: Annuals-Angelonia, Dahlias and anything that will make a colorful patio pot plant. Perennials include Nepeta, Peonies, daffodils and more. In shrubs she likes Spirea Gold Mound and Knockout Roses and for trees Japanese Maples and all the dogwoods.
 Name: Ron Bridge
Job Title: Owner/ Nursery Manager
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: All of Them
Education & Industry Experience:
1979 Graduate of Ratcliff Hicks School of Agriculture at Storrs, Connecticut in Nursery Management
Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional
Advisor for Ellis Clark*
Vice President of the Woodbury FFA Alumni & Parent Support Group
Hobbies: Ron likes antique trucks, things with wheels, water skiing, alpine skiing and working on his personal farm in Bethlehem, Connecticut.
Favorite Plants: Dwarf Conifers, Conifers, Plants that can grow without competition.
* Regional Agriscience and Technology Center at Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury. CT.
 Name: Maggie Bridge
Job Title: Manager of Sales and Marketing
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: Forever
Education & Industry Experience:
B.S. of Business Administration with a dual emphasis in Marketing and Human Resource Management from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2007
Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional in 2009
Hobbies: During the winter, Maggie coaches alpine ski racing to J3 athletes at Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, VT. She also loves shoes, clothes and accessories, and though not always successful - she likes to cook.
Favorite Plants: Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’, Heliotrope, Hydrangea ‘Teller’s Blue’, Blue Spruce ‘Fat Albert’.
 Name: Nick Bridge
Job Title: Equipment Manager
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: 06’ to Present
Education & Industry Experience:
Graduate of the Ellis-Clark Regional Agriscience and Technology Center
Connecticut/National FFA Nursery and Landscape CDE Finalist
Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional in 2009
Hobbies: The outdoors, snowmobiling, and rebuilding antique autos/farm equip.
Favorite Plants: Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple)
Name: Bill Palmer
Job Title: Premier Garden Care Manager
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: Since March 2009
Education & Industry Experience:
B.S. in Environmental Science with a focus on Natural Resources from Johnson State College
Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional in 2009
Hobbies: Skateboarding, Snowboarding, Mountain Biking, Dirt Biking.
Favorite Plants: Schefflera, Weeping Willow, Dawn Redwood
 Name: Bob Lenhard
Job Title: Production Manager
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: Over 30
Education & Industry Experience:
Growing and caring for plants for over 40 years
Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional
Hobbies: Gardening, nature walks with his wife and dogs.
Favorite Plants: There are so many it’s hard to narrow it down. Geraniums, Begonias, Iris, Peonies, Hosta, Dogwoods, Azaleas
 Name: Steve Johnson
Job Title: Landscape Manager
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: 18 years, 5 months, 26 days.
Education & Industry Experience:
BS Ornamental Horticulture/Landscape Design from the University of Maryland in 1981
Certified Accredited Nursery Professional 1998
Certified Landscape Technician-Exterior (CLT-E) 2004
34 years + in the Nursery/Landscape industry
Favorite Plants: Hakonechloa, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Knockout Rose, Flower Carpet Rose, Skimmia, Brilliance Autumn Fern, Clematis paniculata, Ivory Halo Dogwood, Fountain Grass & Boxwood.
 Name: Jay Nathans
Job Title: Landscape Designer
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: 4th season
Education & Industry Experience:
Dean Jr. College A.S. Environmental Studies 1980
UMASS at Amherst MA. B. S. Environmental Design 1983 (Landscape Architecture)
With over 30 years experience within the green industry, Jay has been designing and installing gardens in Connecticut for his entire career.
Awards: Entire garden redesigned and was on garden tour of historical homes in Salem Ma.
Hobbies: NY Giant Fan, reading books, and learning more about plants and horticulture, playing with his two English Bulldogs and visiting Aruba annually.
Favorite Plants: Any Heuchera and many others too many to name.
 Name: Rosamond McDonnell
Job Title: Perennials Manager
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: 20+
Education and Industry Experience:
College and Graduate Degrees (Irrelevant Subjects)
Mr. Bridge’s Pop Quizzes
Hands On – Mostly With Perennials
Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional
Hobbies: Drooling over plant catalogues, reading, crafts
Favorite Plants: Heliopsis ‘Prarie Sunset’, Cercis Canadensis, Echinops, almost anything new, variegated, and or weird.
Name: Peter D. Loughlin
Job Title: Sales
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: 12
Education and Industry Experience:
4 year B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture from Deleware Valley College of Science & Agriculture
22 years at Kelly Nurseries
Awards: Darien Best Appearing Property Award 4 years in a row.
Hobbies: Gardening, Gardening, Gardening!!!
Favorite Plants: Herbs, Geraniums, Supertunia ‘Bubblegum’, Bulbs, Flowering Trees and Shrubs, Evergreen Rhododendrons and Holly.
 Name: Chris Hart
Job Title: Nursery Sales and Operations
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: 5 years
Education & Industry Experience:
Bachelor of Science in Horticulture from the University of Connecticut
Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional
NOFA AOLCP
CT Master Gardener
Meskwaka Tree Project Community Forester
Favorite Plants: Heleborus spp., Quercus rubra, Vaccinium spp., Roses, I love all plants
Name: Carlos Zepeda
Job Title: Sales Associate/Production
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: 13
Education, Industry Experience & Hobbies :
Working the land was one of my first childhood activities. I remember planting seeds in the dry soil and after a few days and some rain, they began to germinate. Their first leaves covered the land in green, filling my father's heart with hope. I also remember how the women in my town used their delicate and decorative touches to fill their homes and gardens with petunias, marigolds, hollyhocks, roses, bougainvilleas, geraniums, dahlias, and laurels. We also grew vegetables, herbs, fruit trees, and wild plants which we used for remedies. These continue to be some of my favorite plants from my childhood.
I have been working at Sam Bridge Nursery and Greenhouse for 13 years, where I continue to develop and enjoy cultivating and looking after plants and flowers. At work, I am reminded daily how the forms, colors and fragrances of each flower are unique and a gift from mother nature.
 Name: Billy Telesca
Job Title: Sales Associate
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: 2 ½
Education & Industry Experience: College and Technical School for Tool & Machine Design.
30 years experience owning my own business in retail sales
Nursery & Horticulture courses
Hobbies: Gardening, Golf, Restoration of Classic Cars, Antiquing
Favorite Plants: Dogwoods, Flowering Apple & Cherry Trees, Geraniums and Ornamental Grasses
 Name: Laura McPartland
Job Title: Retail Sales Associate/All That I Can Be
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: 3 years
Education & Industry Experience:
Certificate in Horticulture from the Naugatuck Valley Community College
Certificate in Landscape Design from the Naugatuck Valley Community College
Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional
Favorite Plants: Galardia, Mandevilla, Tropical Hibiscus, and Clematis
 Name: Paul Kubarych
Job Title: Sales Representative
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: 3
Education & Industry Experience: 4 year university degree in Landscape Architecture
Hobbies: Archaeology, Bird Watching, Orchids, Idee Fixe: Ungrounded Utilities
Favorite Plants: Ericaceous Plants, Yellowwood, Davidia
 Name: Nick Moraske
Job Title: Nursery Sales
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: 6
Education & Industry Experience: B.S. Horticulture from the University of Connecticut with a minor in Landscape Design
9 years in the nursery industry
Hobbies: Fishing, Golf, & Gardening
Favorite Plants: Acuba, Zelkova, Viburnum ‘Summer Snowflake’, Climbing Hydrangea, Dahlia
Name: Carol Lyons
Job Title: Sales Associate/Display & Merchandising
Education: Red Rocks College, Denver, CO
Industry Experience: I began my career in Colorado working seasonally as a nursery store manager during the summer and a floral designer during the winter. When I moved to New York in the 80’s I continued in the nursery and floral businesses plus added retail store display to my skill set. I worked in stores like Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Fortunoff and Banana Republic, where I reached the position of District Visual Display Manager, responsible for 5 stores. During this time I also continued to freelance as a floral designer for parties, events, and fundraisers for designers like Diana Gould, Jane Caroll, and Loretta Stagen. I also worked for New York Christmas where I designed and installed the trees and wreaths for the NYSE including the American flag in lights on the outside columns.
Here at Sam Bridge I bring my nursery, display and design background together to make the Sam Bridge Experience as visually pleasing as possible.
Awards: Best Floral Booth Design- Telluride Festivals, National Art Award for Design, May Company
Publications: Retail Reporting - Store Windows Book No.8, View and Reviews - window display magazine, Time Life Magazine - Year in pictures 2001
Favorite Plant: The green one
Hobbies: Making the world more beautiful, one project at a time.
Name: Tucker Bridge
Job Title: Customer Greeter, Accidental Lunchroom Vacuum Cleaner, Deer Chaser, Rodent Hunter
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: 8 1/2
Education & Industry Experience: Tucker can shake hands, high five, double five, and roll over halfway.
Hobbies: Tucker loves to “hunt (but rarely catches).” His favorite animals include Woodchucks, Deer, Chipmunks, Skunks, Squirrels, and Bunnies. He will eat almost any type of food and look cute while doing it. He also loves football.
Favorite Plants: Tucker loves to eat Lemon Verbena, Ornamental Grasses, Blueberries, and Ferns.
 Name: Shea Bridge
Job Title: Nick’s sidekick
Number of Years at Sam Bridge: Just starting
Education & Industry Experience: In progress…
Hobbies: Chasing birds, playing with Tucker, and bothering the production employees
Favorite Plants: Hosta and anything else that tastes good!
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