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. Most of our staff is degreed in horticulture and are also Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professionals. 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.
Sam Bridge III
Owner/General Manager
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 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.
Mary Jo Bridge Palmer
Owner/Retail Manager
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 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 of course, her home in Vermont, Harley Davidson’s and Travel
Favorite Plants: Annuals-Angelonia, Bacopa, Dragon Wing Begonias, Fuchsia Gartenmeister, Dahlias and anything that will make a colorful patio pot plant. Perennials include Nepeta, Salvia ‘May Night,’ Daylily ‘Happy Returns,’ all Sedums, Anything that’s deer resistant, Peonies, daffodils and more. In shrubs she likes Spirea ‘Gold Mound,’ Viburnum ‘Summer Snowflake,’ Cornus ‘Ivory Halo,’ Hydrangea ‘Quick Fire,’ and Knockout Roses and for trees Japanese Maples and all the dogwoods. Too many to list!
Ron Bridge
Owner/Nursery Manager
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: All of Them
Education & Industry Experience:1979 graduate of Radcliff Hicks School of Agriculture in Nursery anagement. CT Accredited Nursery Professional. Certified Supervisory Pesticide Applicator
Other Activities: Advisor for the Ellis Clark Regional Agriscience And Technology Center at Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury CT. Life member of the Woodbury FFA Alumni Assoc. Ron has been instrumental in fundraising for agriculture scholarships at the Agriscience center in Woodbury, CT
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.
Maggie Bridge
Manager of Sales and Marketing
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2008
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 2007, Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional 2009,Connecticut Nursery & Landscape Association, Board of Directors 2018
Hobbies: During the winter, Maggie coaches alpine ski racing to U14 Athletes at Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, VT. She also loves live music, fashion, to be outside and spending time with family.
Favorite Plants: Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’, Heliotrope, Echiverias of all kinds, Cercis Canadensis (Redbud), Euphorbia ‘Kalipso’, Ranunculus & any type of Peony.
Nick Bridge
Equipment Manager
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2006
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)
Bill Palmer
Premier Garden Care Manager
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 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
Rich Palmer
Assistant Production Manager
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2013
Education & Industry Experience: Associates Degree in Horticulture from the Ratcliff Hicks School of Agriculture at the University of Connecticut in 2003. Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional in 2005. Over 10 years of experience working at an industry wholesale firm including overseeing the installation of green roofs on several commercial properties.
Hobbies: Snowboarding, the outdoors, golf and photography.
Favorite Plants: Dahlias, lilies, hydrangea, lupine, iris and lilacs.
Sam (Sammy) Bridge IV
Inventory, IT and Sales
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2014
Education and Industry Experience: Bachelor degree in Economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional in 2014 Top sales person within respective regions for two multi-billion dollar publicly traded companies prior to coming on full time for the family business. Has held positions within retail, production, landscape and administrative at SBNG.
Hobbies: Boating, fishing, skiing, softball and a big New York sports fan.
Favorite Plants: Croton, snake plant, orchids, hydrangeas and succulents.
Bob Lenhard
Production Manager
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 1974
Education and 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.
Steve Johnson
Landscape Manager
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 1991
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.
Jay Nathans
Landscape Designer
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2007
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.
Matthew Fountaine
Landscape Designer
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2017
Education & Industry Experience: Bachelor Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Rhode Island. Matt has been designing residential landscapes throughout Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, and Connecticut for the past 8 years as well as completing a horticulture internship at Walt Disney World. Matt is looking forward to continuing his landscape designing career at Sam Bridge.
Hobbies:Green Bay Packers, New York Rangers, hiking, playing golf, going to concerts, and traveling.
Favorite Plants: Japanese Maple, Boxwood, Knockout Rose, Serviceberry, Hydrangea ‘Limelight’, Hosta, Russian Sage, and ornamental grasses.
Ty Carsto
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2018
Education & Industry Experience: BLA in 1994 from the School of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse University. Assoc. of Landscape Development in 1991 from Cobleskill. 3 years experience in plant nursery sales. 20 years plus years of landscape design and construction.
Hobbies: Anything football, skiing and snowboarding, reading(science fiction and fantasy) coaching
Favorite Plants: Shade tree Sugar Maple, Flowering tree Redbud, Perennial Catmint, Annual Heliotrope.
Rosamond McDonnell
Perennials Manager
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 1987
Education & 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.
Roy Subnarian
Production Team Leader and Go-To Guy for ‘Where Is It?’
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 1999
Education & Industry Experience: Growing and caring for plants starting at the seedling stage and ending with finished product for 14 years.
Hobbies: Cooking and gardening.
Favorite Plants: Geranium, Heliotrope, Verbena and Petunias.
Carlos Zepeda
Sales Associate/Production
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 1997
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.
Laura McPartland
Retail Sales Associate
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2007
Education & Industry Experience: Certificate of Horticulture from Naugatuck Valley Community College
Certificate in Landscape Design from Naugatuck Valley Community College
Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional
Hobbies: Reading, fishing and of course gardening
Favorite Plants: Lupine, Lamium, Mandevilla, Crepe Myrtle, Heliotrope and Enkianthus
Billy Telesca
Sales Associate
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2008
Education and 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
Colleen Giambo
Retail Sales Associate
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2008
Education and Industry Experience: 2 Connecticut Master Gardener, Class of 2011
Hobbies: Gardening in my own yard; reading and co-leading a book group; horseback riding
Lynn Eriksen
Retail Sales Associate
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2014
Education and Industry Experience: 2014 Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional Retired talent agent, experience managing nursery and perennial departments at other firms, perennial grower and interior maintenance of commercial and residential properties.
Hobbies: Gardening, yoga, reading, exploring museums and botanical gardens, travel
Favorite Plants: Hornbeam, Japanese maples, ferns, conifers, grasses and echinacea.
Paula Lynn
Retail Sales Associate
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2015
Education & Industry Experience: Over 20 years of experience in the green industry
Hobbies: Cooking, baking, singing, traveling, painting and spending time with family and friends.
Favorite Plants: Setcreasea, echiveria, Aeonium, lantana, begonias, grasses, echinacea, asclepias, sango-kaku Japanese maple, lagerstroemia, and double file viburnum.
Kamil Jablonowski
Retail Store Manager
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2016
Education and Industry Experience: —
Hobbies: —
Jen Plasky
Horticulturalist
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 2018
Education and Industry Experience: B.S. in Horticulture 2003, B.S. in Agricultural Education 2003, & M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction 2004 from the University of Connecticut. Connecticut Accredited Nursery Professional 2009. American Institute of Floral Designers 2015. Over 20 years experience teaching horticulture and working within garden centers, landscape companies, and floral shops in Connecticut and New York.
Hobbies: Playing the cello, teaching, visiting botanical gardens, shopping for new plants
Favorite Plants: Narcissus, Clethra, Sycamore, Tillandsia, Gasteria
Shea Bridge
Nick’s sidekick
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: 4 years
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!
Pixie Bridge
Ronny's Shadow, P.R.
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: Just started in July 2012
Education & Industry Experience: In training
Hobbies: Begging, sleeping and tug of war with Shea
Favorite Plants: Ornamental grasses and B&B Deciduous Trees.
Chunk Bridge Monick
Sales and Marketing's Newest Edition
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: Since February, I’m new!
Education & Industry Experience: Still learning the ins and outs of nursery dogging. I’m great at greeting customers!
Hobbies: Swimming at the beach, in the pond, in the brook, in puddles, and in the bath tub, playing in the snow, walks in the woods, jumping in leaves, playing with sticks and cuddling with my family.
Favorite Plants: Forsythia, All kinds of Grasses, Millet
Sadie
Sam Bridge Team Member Since: Since April
Education & Industry Experience: Still in apprenticeship for ; watering , testing water fountains , early morning greeter , and chasing varmints .
Hobbies: Anything to do with water . Chewing sticks . Squeaky toys . Playing with Pixie and Chunk . South Carolina Game Cock fan.
Favorite Plants: Ornamental Grass , Gourds , anything that has just been watered.