Steve, Rhonda & Jake O’Grady – The O’Grady’s founded Creek Side Gardens in late 2006 after purchasing the former Garden Trails property from the McNitt family. In 2012, we were joined by Will Knowles, a veteran in the industry. Will has taken the reigns as our GM and Heads our Growing Operations. Will brings an abundance of knowledge, experience and passion to Creek Side Gardens. In 2015, Will joined us as a partner.
Will Knowles – “Creek Side Gardens is the perfect place to be for a guy who loves growing flowers and sharing that passion with people. My first job in high school was at our local greenhouse. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Horticulture. From growing to sales, wholesale to retail, I have had the pleasure of pursuing something I love to do every day. I would love for you to please stop by to introduce yourself and say hello. Then let me and the Green Team know what we can do to help bring color to your life!”
Holly Bullotta – joined the team in February of 2012 but have been in the garden business for over 25 years. ‘As the buyer of the garden products, pottery and gifts I work very hard to follow current trends and have product here that our customers love. Being the Retail Manager is also very rewarding sharing my customer service knowledge with the team and training every employee to see our vision. Pulling it all together through the seasons and watching customer reactions, makes me proud to be here and part of the Green Team.’
Selina McKee – originally from Omaha, Nebraska Selina’s love of gardening started with her grandmother, ‘ she introduced me to it and I was hooked!’ Selina moved to Colorado in 2013 where she continued to work in the industry and received her Colorado Certified Nursery Professional (CCNP) certificate. Selina joined Creek Side in 2017 and she is a valuable addition with her customer service, plant knowledge and retail experience. She is great with customer assistance and especially helps keep the perennial and nursery department humming.
Kelly Miller– “Hey there- I’ve been a part of the Creek Side Gardens Team since 2020. I’ve been a avid backyard gardener for 25 years and enjoy keeping up with gardening trends and find myself learning new things every season. I also love houseplants and have a growing collection overtaking my home. I enjoy teaching classes at Creek Side, helping people find the perfect houseplant and assisting customers with their container garden and perennial selections. When I’m not at Creek Side, you’ll probably find me at home gardening, hanging out with family, skiing or traveling around somewhere. Come find your inspiration at Creek Side with us!”
Megan Knight– “I grew up gardening in Littleton, digging up my parent’s yard as soon as they would let me. Creek Side has been a favorite garden center since moving back to Littleton in 2006. After retiring from environmental consulting, I was lucky enough to be offered a position at Creek Side where I get to learn something new about plants and retail from coworkers and customers every day.”
Kelly Engelking– “Born and raised in Littleton, Colorado, I discovered a love of plants in 2017. In 2019 this love brought me to attend CSU where I received my bachelor’s degree in Horticulture and Greenhouse Management. Creek Side Gardens started as great place for me to explore house plants and has since nurtured a passion for many more aspects of the plant world. I am now so thankful to be a part of a team where I can continue my education each day surrounded by wonderful friends and mentors.”
Michelle Landsberg – A Denver native growing up in the Columbine area. Michelle joined the Green Team in November of 2022 after working in the industry for 11 years previously. “I learned to love plants and growing things as a child from my grandparents and parents. I came on board with a lot of knowledge and experience but know there is always more to learn. I look forward to continuing my education with this wonderful team and excellent customers.”
Kerry Poppe – joining the green team in 2014 Kerry is well-rooted with the planting needs of Colorado gardening. When I’m not digging around in my own garden. Kerry received her CNGA certification as a nursery professional in 2017. Kerry is our off-site landscape consultant to many of our customers. “Teaching and sharing my love of horticulture and design to people is what satisfies me most.
Kyra McCarthy– “Ever since I was little, my mother has been one with nature, she taught me everything she knows about the plant and animal world and got me to where I am today. After studying at SCC in Nebraska and getting my associate degree in Science, learning a lot more about the natural world has helped me in my career in just that, working at Creek Side has been the best job I could ask for education and building friendships in the plant community. I have learned a lot and can’t wait to keep growing with Creek Side!
Lena Sankey- “A Colorado native and avid nature lover, I joined the Green Team in February 2023 and I couldn’t be happier with having found such a wonderful place with a team of such wonderful people!! I enjoy and look forward to spending days at the gardens learning new things everyday and helping to care for, grow, and maintain all the beauty that our special “little slice of Heaven” has to offer.”
Addie Tschour- I’ve worked at Creekside for almost two years now. I love that working here means always learning new things about the foliage around me, and of course a discount on houseplants! Outside of work I enjoy hiking, skiing and going to concerts.”
Kathy Wiltshire- Kathy began working at Creek Side during the early years and quickly became an integral member of the team. She loves planting the beautiful container gardens and hanging baskets you see each spring in the greenhouse. Focusing on the planting schedule through the busy spring months, Kathy helps to keep everything on schedule and ready for sale during the busy spring season.
Mike Cockrell– The first and original hire by Steve and Rhonda when they purchased the company back in 2007. Mike was a fresh new grad in horticulture and hit the ground running. Watering and growing plants, filling containers with soil, moving crops from one area to another, he was hard to hold down. Eventually leaving Creek Side for a stint at the Denver Zoo and currently working full-time for the City of Denver Park and Recreation Department. But Mikes’ loyalty and and hard working drive never left Creek Side and all through his other jobs, Mike has continued to work at Creek Side part-time. Which for Mike is as much as some people get done in a week. At home he has a ranch and 40 animals to care for in his spare time. He has played a big role in what keeps Creek Side running.
Bub Merchen- Originally a commercial greenhouse builder, Bub and Will have worked together at three different greenhouse companies over the last 40 years. An all around greenhouse and plantsman, Bub is another one of the guys that keeps the place running. Whether it is building new greenhouses, repairing the old greenhouses, filling containers with soil down in the barn, or early morning watering assignments, Bub is on duty and ready to go! Not to mention, Bub has never missed a scheduled work day!
Kirk Cushing- A shared love of wildlife, nature, animals and plants has led Kirk to Creek Side Gardens. His work drive, attention to detail, and willingness to take on a variety of assignments makes his tenure even more valuable. Plus, his cheery attitude makes him always fun to work with!
Hunter Fiori – Hunter joined the Green Team in 2016 when he was still in high school. As a key member of this team Hunter is our ‘go to guy’. Helping with all aspects of the day from filling pots with soil, to loading soil and mulch for customers to pulling weeds. All the customers appreciate is great attitude and willingness to jump in. A simple and pleasant ‘copy that’ comes across the radio knowing that Hunter is ready to help.
Andrew Luber- Andrew has worked in the garden center industry for a couple of years before joining the Creek Side Green Team in 2023. Andrew has become a great asset for us with deliveries, handiwork, moving product and any and all projects. Andrew says that he likes the garden business because he gets to work outside and with his hands. When not working at Creek Side, Andrew enjoys riding his bike and making 3-D schematics on his computer to create models that he can build.
Bud our Creek Side Cat – As a stray, Bud wandered in one day in 2010 and decided to stay. Always popular with kids of all ages and adults, he is our resident greeter (when he feels like it). Many times customer will come and say, ‘Where is Bud today?” An excellent mouser and often times chasing butterflies, but mostly doing what cat’s do. Be sure to look for him around the courtyard, you never know where he will pop out.
Creek Side features a team of dedicated, creative and experienced professionals to help you every step of the way through your gardening and decorating process. From selecting the best plant for your garden or deciding which colors go best together, to gift wrapping that perfect gift for that someone special, the Green Team does it all.
