Wildwood Team
David Bosco – Owner & President
David is second generation Owner and President of Wildwood Nurseries. David has had a passion for plant material and the outdoor environment for as long as he can remember. David has a bachelor of science in business finance from Providence College and also a bachelor of landscape architecture from the University of Rhode Island. David is a Rhode Island Certified Horticulturist as well as a Rhode Island Licensed Arborist (#386). David oversees all aspects of the business. He continuously seeks to improve the quality and selection of product as well as the overall customer experience.
Thomas Bosco – Owner
Thomas is the Founding President of Wildwood Nurseries. Thomas has specialized in residential and commercial property design, development and management preservation for over 43 years. Thomas has served as a Rhode Island Registered Landscape Architect (#106) since 1977. Thomas is a Rhode Island Licensed Arborist (#325) and a Rhode Island Certified Horticulturist. Thomas served as the President of the Rhode Island Nurserymen’s Association in 1981 and formerly dedicated many years of service as the East Greenwich Tree Warden. Thomas is also a former member of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Linda Carlson – Garden Center Office Manager
Linda has been with us at Wildwood since 2003. She has been essential to our growth over the years and has been involved with many aspects of the business. When Linda joined us, she already had extensive experience in the nursery industry, including a background in plant propagation, management and sales. She has an expansive knowledge of plants, plant placement and gardening know-how. As Garden Center Office Manager, Linda ensures that our customers receive immediate attention and an excellent customer service experience, often going out of her way to assist others however she can. Linda is a valuable resource for both our customers and staff. Have a question? Linda can help.
Jo-Ann Bouley - Perennial Manager
Jo-Ann joined the Wildwood team in 2014 and brought with her a passion for plants and gardening. After 25 years in the medical field, Jo-Ann changed career paths and in 2006 received a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture from URI. Following graduation, she became the Educational Program Manager for the URI Outreach Center at Roger Williams Park Botanical Center in Providence. Today Jo-Ann is responsible for managing our extensive perennial collection in the nursery. She loves to inform and educate customers about plants and their care so that they feel empowered and confident in creating a little piece of paradise in their own yards.
Carmella Farrar - Home & Garden Manager
Carmella joined the Wildwood team in April 2018 after a 38 year career in education and lifelong love of gardening. She is a URI Certified Master Gardener and avid self-taught gardener who uses her knowledge to assist with ideas and practical advice. Carmella leads the Design Team Duo with Emily as the point of contact for clients seeking custom off-site container installations. They also get creative with the unique products and displays within the Home & Garden Shop which Carmella oversees as Manager. Her creative eye is responsible for many of the displays around the nursery but is most exceptionally showcased in the grand decorative vignettes she and her team put together in the Home & Garden Shop for the holidays.
Emily Buonaiuto - Marketing & Events Coordinator
Emily joined the Wildwood team in 2019. She is a URI Certified Master Gardener and brings with her 10+ years of garden center experience. Her degree in interactive media comes in handy as our Marketing & Events Coordinator. Emily is our virtual voice with her photo/copy materials making up our social media, public advertisements & monthly newsletters. Emily creates and organizes our pop-up classes, festivals and seasonal markets such as "Walk Through the Wildwoods" which continues to expand in popularity and scale each year. As part of the Design Team led by Carmella, they're responsible for product displays in the Home & Garden Shop - in addition to unique client-specific on/off-site custom container installations.
Scott Humes - Senior Customer Sales
Scott joined the Wildwood team in 2020, bringing many years of nursery experience with him in addition to his prior career as an educator for 17 years. He is very knowledgeable in matters of plant health and maintenance, usually able to identify most fungal and insect issues that customers present him with. Scott enjoys assisting customers in choosing ideal plants for locations that they will thrive in and can often suggest a variety of options. If you are looking for great advice about trees, shrubs, and perennials, Scott is the person to look for. He is glad to offer suggestions or simply to talk about plants! Scott particularly enjoys collecting daylilies, strange and unusual plants, and native plants that attract wildlife.
Lauren Aguiar - Perennial & Container Designer
Lauren joined the Wildwood team in 2022. She received her bachelors degree in Landscape Architecture from URI in 2009 and has since been working as a professional gardener and Garden Designer. Lauren is a plant enthusiast with an eye for design. Her knowledge and personal passions have directed her main specialties toward seasonal container arrangements, vegetable gardening and perennnial maintenance. Oftentimes, you will see Lauren beautifying these areas or maintaining our display gardens. Working with Wildwood in addition to her personal, professional fine gardening has given Lauren opportunity to fulfill her passion of keeping plants healthy while helping customers choose the best plants for their sites.
Eileen Manion - Senior Garden Center Assistant
Eileen became part of our team in 2020 after a career in both the nursery and veterinary-clinic industries. Graduating from URI with a degree in Agriculture and Resource Technology, Eileen became Manager of Nursery Sales in addition to a Retail Sales Manager for a number of years at multiple nurseries in RI. In 1993, Eileen moved to Key West, FLA, where she worked as an Estate Gardener in addition to her 20+ year position as a Receptionist/Assistant at a vet clinic. Since 2015, Eileen's back working in the nursery industry once more, in addition to running her own pet-sitting business - giving her the ability to work in two industries she's always cared about! You'll often see Eileen on making sure all of our stock is hydrated and healthy.
Tara Joy Belisle - Annual Coordinator
Tara became part of the Wildwood crew in 2021. Her special interest lies in flowering bulbs - beginning when she was young through the time spent learning with her Grandfather in his garden, abundant with tulips and dahlias. Now, Tara's own gardens showcase hundreds of bulbs and highlights including specialty roses, hibiscus, and cannas. She's our go-to "dahlia woman" - happy to share advice or to chat with other enthusiasts. Tara's gardening experience, 7 years of care as a Veterinary Technician, and 7 years of healing work as a Certified Massage Therapist is seen not only when helping customers find the right plants for a certain area - ensuring a healthy plant - but also by helping individuals in finding the plants that will bring them joy!
John Palardy - Landscape Designer
John started with us in 2021 with 30+ years of experience in the industry. With a degree in Plant Sciences and Landscape Design concentration from URI, John first worked as an intern at Evergreen Tree & Landscape Inc. before staying on there full time as Store Manager and as their Landscape Design "extraordinaire." Since he's been with us, John has been our main man for client's looking for dream landscapes to come to fruition - something he enjoys very much. In addition to the extensive plant and design knowledge he's acquired over the years, John uses his yard at home as template to determine what plants survive best in our sometimes "testy" NE weather. Think your gardens need a refresher or have plant questions? Chat with John!
Caitlin Rush - Nursery Operations Manager
Joining Wildwood in 2020, Caitlyn brings with her an enthusiasm for resourceful gardening practices and is most often seen helping visitors at the nursery. She enjoys discussing landscape goals and guides customers in the direction that works for them. Her welcoming nature and "go get 'em" attitude makes her a great person to bounce ideas off of, come up with efficient solutions, and she's the first to offer help toward coworkers wherever it's needed. When she's not consulting with clients, you'll usually find Caitlyn someone around the nursery - fixing, building, maintaining, moving, or creating something! Her strong work ethic and willingness to both learn and teach makes her a standout asset as our Nursery Operations Manager.