AnniesStaff

Tony Hosek is a Certified Nursery Professional with extensive experience in all aspects of retail garden center management and customer service. He is an expert on plant care, plant disease diagnosis, and plant display and will share his knowledge during our Saturday morning classes.

Jon has been at Annie’s since he was a sophomore at Mira Costa High School. He is responsible for finding many of the fabulous plants that you find at Annie’s Gardens. He is our primary plant buyer and our Green Goods Manager. Jon has an uncanny eye for design and is a true plant aficionado. He is an engaging speaker and many people know him as the guy who gives the fun and entertaining weekend classes at Annie’s. Jon has designed and installed some of the most fantastic interior plantscapes in Manhattan and Hermosa Beach. Jon’s goal is to make your experience with plants successful.

Jermain Foster recently joined our landscaping team. He is responsible for scheduling and supervising our manicured maintenance crew and also oversees our garden design installations. His education is in horticulture with a special interest in trees. He is a member of the International Arboriculture Society and has many years of experience in tree care and maintenance. Jermain lives locally and is the father of two. He is affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America and is ranked as an Eagle Scout.

Drew Berenc has been in the business since he was a youngster. By the time he was 16 he and his brother had two trucks working for their grass cutting service! Drew graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a BS in Plant Science, Horticulture, with an emphasis on Landscape Design. Drew has designed many of the landscapes you see on this site. Drew lives with his family in Manhattan Beach.

Julie is the person on staff who knows where everything is! She is a great help if you are looking for a special gift. She has a flair for presentation and can wrap up the perfect hostess gift faster than anyone else at annie’s. Julie lives in Manhattan Beach with her husband and children. Her oldest son is a football player at Mira Costa High School this year, and we’re sure her middle school son will follow in his footsteps.

Sally is a Manhattan Beach mom who works in the flower shop. She answers the phones and takes grand care of our house account customers. She keeps up with all the little details that keep the flower shop running smoothly. Sally and Annie sat together for many years watching their sons play roller hockey and then ice hockey, before Sally came to work in the flower shop. Sally’s boys are grown and on their own, but luckily for Annie’s, she and her husband are still living here in Manhattan Beach. Sally’s husband Richard even gets in on the act once and a while and helps fix our computers!

Lisa came to Annie’s as a floral designer but proved to be so talented at displays that she was promoted to buyer and merchandiser quickly. She helps Ann and Jo-Ann scour the country for new and unusual items for your home and garden. Lisa lives in Manhattan Beach with her husband and children. Her two girls are just as talented as she is and on occasion come in to help out in the flower shop. Her high school daughter plays golf for Mira Costa and her middle school son is a powerhouse on the soccer field.

Eren is a recent addition to our floral design team. Since graduating from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture, Eren has continued her education in floral design, studying at the Teleflora Education Center in Oklahoma City and at the Anaheim School of Floral Design. She has won several awards including runner-up in the Teleflora Design Competition in 2003. She has extensive experience working as a floral designer and as manager in florists in Marina Del Rey and Brentwood, and is specialized in providing floral arrangements for special events.

Molly is a jack of all trades at Annie’s. On some days you will find her in the garden shop, helping customers and planting up container gardens. On other days she may be helping with a big wedding or party in the flower shop. She even delivers for us sometimes. Her high energy and happy nature will make your day when she helps you. Molly lives in Hermosa Beach.

You can often find Mike behind the wheel of our delivery van. What may surprise you is that he is a darn good floral designer too! (So far, he has only used his talents to create arrangements for his dates.) Mike is also a talented carpenter and has overseen many of the improvements Annie’s has made in the last few years. Mike is the talent behind many of our display pieces. All we need to do is give him a sketch on a napkin and before we know it Mike has it painted and ready for use. He is a father of four. His youngest daughters are twins who play a mean game of water polo.

Francisco is part of our landscape maintenance and installation team. He is busy most days keeping the best gardens in Manhattan Beach looking top notch! Francisco loves what he does and cares for our clients’ gardens as if they were his own. Francisco always has a smile on his face and is always willing to go the extra mile. Francisco lives with his wife and children.

Ramona has been here since before Jo-Ann and Ann bought the garden shop and flower shop. She is an expert in flower processing and it is because of her careful work that Annie’s flowers last so long. Even though you will hardly ever see Ramona, she is a crucial part of our team. Ramona has a young son, named after his father Rudy, who some of you may remember worked at Annie’s for many years.

Barbara is one of Annie’s newest team members and we are thrilled to have her! She has a degree in Theater Design, Three Dimensional Design and Photography from the London University of the Arts. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Torrance. She is a lifelong gardener, with the last twenty five years being spent in her garden here in the South Bay. Being from England, gardening is in her blood. Barbara also organizes and leads photographic tours to Europe. We are hoping to showcase her wonderful skills as a photographer here on our web site.

Chase Collister is a newcomer to our staff this spring. He is a graduate of Mira Costa High School and is training for our landscape crew.