Our Staff
Brian & Lynn Darnall
Owners, Brian and Lynn Darnall. Both are involved in the community.
Brian sits on the Board of Directors for the South Dakota Retailers, Board of Directors for Prairie Repertory Theatre and Board of Directors of McCrory Gardens. Brian likes vintage cars, motorcycling, and renovating old homes.
Lynn is active on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Brookings, the Visitors/Promotions Committee for the City of Brookings, Sunday School teacher and other activities at the First United Methodist Church. Lynn likes to quilt, sew, drive her motorcycle, and garden.
Doris Armitage
This is one dedicated greenhouse employee - she drives from Canby, Mn. to share her talents with us! Doris "Dory" Armitage has worked at the greenhouse 4 years. She and her husband have 2 boys, 2 wild and crazy grandsons, a dog and 3 cats. Dory has worked 30 years in the retail floral business, 16 years in her own flower shop and loves to garden.
Dory says her specialties are raising veggies and lately has gotten more and more into perennials. She says living out in the country she has to share her garden with lots of different animals - deer, rabbits, woodchucks and skunks. One morning after a heavy rainfall she found a turtle stuck in the mud in her garden, legs flailing in all directions! Mud had built up on his underside to the point where he could no longer touch the ground with his feet! She picked him up, scraped off his belly, carried him down to their creek and he happily swam away. Good going Dory, and thanks for sharing.
Robin Bortnem
This always smiling face is Robin Bortnem. She has worked parttime at the greenhouse for 5 years. She is an avid gardener and reader. Also during the summer she motorcycles and takes in racing. You'll find her at the Indy 500 over Memorial Day.
Robin works every Sunday and is happiest when she's helping someone pick out plants for their gardens or pots. Robin says that she tries something new or different in her gardens every year. She says it's the best way to learn all about them.
Melanie Betlach
This lady keeps our greenhouses running smoothly on week nights and weekends. This dear friend, Melanie Betlach, has worked with us for 20 years! She and her husband, Larry, have 2 adult daughters - Libby and Alex - a granddaughter Brilee and another grandbaby on the way.
Mel is very active in her church and when she's not gardening she likes to stamp. Mel thinks that cocktails on Friday nights are a great way to end the week!
Mel's specialties are window boxes and decorator pots-which is very much in evidence when you see her home during the summer months.
Mel laughs that when she was a new gardener as a young adult, she measured precisely, with a RULER, every plant she placed to make sure they were planted exactly the distance apart that the tag recommended! She's come a long way!
Judy Cooley
This super ambitious lady is Judy Cooley. When she's not working at the greenhouse she's a Mom to two active kids, Alex and Aaron, a wife to Jerry, volunteering at her church and working on her Masters' Degree!
Judy says that when she first started gardening she spent about two years planting the wrong plants. She grew up with a sunny yard, but then purchased her first house with a shady yard. She figured out that she needed shady plants, got them established, and now the trees have been taken down and she's back to sun! The challenges of gardening - but she loves it! You'll see Judy on weeknights and on weekends and she enjoys waiting on customers.
Mary Egart & Kathy Huska
These two lovely ladies are Kathy Huska and Mary Egart. Kathy has been with Medary Acres over 20 years and Mary has been at the greenhouse over 30 years. Kathy has a large family and started gardening as a youth in 4-H.
Kathy loves to container garden, especially tropicals, which she tries to winter over. She says this is challenging without a sunroom but she has had lots of success.
When Kathy isn't at the greenhouse she loves to babysit her grandchildren.
Mary and her husband, Pete, have two adult daughters, Emily and Katie. The apple never falls far from the tree - Katie also works at the greenhouse! Mary is our greenhouse pot guru, growing 80 pots of flowers each summer on her decks! Mary loves to garden, cook, read, knit and travel. She also is a stained glass artist and has many stunning works to her credit.
Mary laughs at some of her gardening experiences but really laughs about the time she dug into the ground to prep some garden areas for planting and speared a mouse with her trowel! She says "I jumped a 100 feet into the air, as the mouse squealed an died a slow death!"
Mary loves to help customers and friends with decisions regarding their garden beds or pots.
Katie Egart
This is Katie Egart. Like I said earlier, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree - Katie is the daughter of Mary Egart. Mary has worked for us for 33 years and now we're delighted that Katie works here too!
This is Katie's 3rd year.
She works part-time during the SDSU school year, and then full-time as soon as her last final is finished! Katie is friendly, knowledgeable and always ready to help! You'll see her smiling face at the front selling counter all season long. Thanks, Katie!
Lori DeBoer
This smiling face at the greenhouse is Lori DeBoer. Lori has worked part time with us for the last 4 years. Lori and her husband, LaRon, have been gardening for over 30 years. They have a daughter, Megan, who lives in Sioux Falls and a son Austin, who lives in Des Moines. Austin has also worked at the greenhouse.
When Lori isn't gardening she follows SDSU athletics, reads and is very involved in music at First United Methodist Church.
Lori and LaRon have many varieties of Hostas and Day Lillies in their yard as well as a large vegetable garden.
Lori says that gardening is an adventure every year, one that is to be enjoyed - no matter what Mother Nature and South Dakota throws your way!
Glenda Derdall
This lovely gardener is Glenda Derdall. She is in her 3rd year at the greenhouse. Glenda and her husband, Dave, have 3 children: Peter, Claire & Lucas. Glenda has been gardening about 22 years but started helping in the family garden as a child.
Glenda keeps very busy with church activities such as advising the youth group, Sunday School teacher and playing piano. She also loves to read, garden and paint old furniture.
When Glenda was young, her mother peaked Glenda's interest in gardening by allowing her to pick some fun seeds from the seed catalog. Now, Glenda is thrilled that her daughter has become interested in gardening after working at the greenhouse last season doing carry out! Claire helped in the garden all summer.
Melody Gelderman & Linda Oines
This is Linda Oines and Melody Gelderman. They have worked at the greenhouse 21 and 19 years respectively. Linda and her family are farmers in the area and over the years Linda has enjoyed raising Pheasants, Bobwhites and Chuckers.
Mel and her husband Ron enjoy gardening. Melody raises flowers and Ron raises vegetable. Mel enjoys canning the veggies and Ron freezes much of the fruit they raise so that he can make wine. Mel is an avid reader and coffee drinker with friends. She also volunteers at her church and the Backpack Project. Mel and Ron have 2 granddaughters.
Gail Meland
This is Gail Meland, who is in her 3rd year at the greenhouse. She and her husband, Tim, have a son Steven, who is married to Allison and their daughter, Marie, who is an art major at MSUM.
Gail is an outdoor sports lover: water skiing, swimming, camping, downhill and cross country skiing. They are active members of the Catholic Campus Parish and Gail loves to paint. Recently, she has been doing watercolor on silk and this summer plans to do acrylics on patio stone.
Jeanne Mennis
This lady brings a smile to your face just by being in the room! Jeanne Mennis is in her fourth year at Medary Acres. Jeanne is engaged to local barber, Bob Melmer, and she has two daughters, Anna a massage therapist and Tiffany a junior at Moorhead State.
When Jeanne isn't at the greenhouse she can be found tailgating at SDSU football games and taking care of her 88 year old parents. When we asked Jeanne about her specialties in gardening she said, "I'm dibbler of many - master of none!" Jeanne is an avid gardener and loves taking care of customers at the greenhouse.
Jeanne laughs that as a child she helped her Dad in his big garden. She would be sent out to pick beans but usually ate most of them, getting very few into the house!
Stephne Miller
Stephne Miller has been with Medary Acres for 4 years. Steph began gardening with her mother on their family farm. They entered flowers and garden produce in 4-H achievement days.
Steph and her husband, Greg, have 5 children, 5 granddaughters and 2 grandsons. They enjoy riding their Harley Davidson motorcycle. Steph also likes to downhill ski, water ski, ride horses and show miniature horses. She was recently elected to the Brookings County Commission.
Steph says that each year she has Greg dig up more and more spots for flower beds. Greg is afraid that soon they won't have to mow - their entire yard will be flowers!
Chris Morris
Chris Morris has been with Medary Acres 12 years. She and her husband, Arlo, are very busy with their daughter Gillian and son Mason.
Chris volunteers with the Brookings Figure Skating Club, is a 4-H parent and is a consultant with Tastefully Simple and Norwex. She loves to travel, garden and care for animals.
Chris has beautiful gardens and specializes in vegetables.
Nancy Parriott
This gardener is new to Medary Acres. Nancy Parriott is in her first year at the greenhouse and we're thrilled to have her. Nancy is the daughter-in-law of the "founding father" of Medary Acres, Jean Mehegan. Nancy and her husband, Dan, have 2 adult daughters and 4 grandchildren.
Nancy has dabbled at her garden for several years and enjoys doing vegetables the most. When not at the greenhouse you may see Nancy and Dan on their Harley enjoying the beauty of our country. They also make wine and Nancy likes to quilt. Nancy says her biggest triumph in the garden has been being able to help Jean with his gardens - he doesn't let just "anybody" in them!
Becky Rettedal
Becky Rettedal is a familiar face at Medary Acres. She has worked at the greenhouse 15 years and has been a gardener for 25 years.
Becky and her husband, Dan, have a daughter, a son and a daughter-in-law.
Becky is an avid quilter, loves to sew, do paper crafts, knitting, reading and gardening. She volunteers with Project Linus and does bags for the Banquet.
Her family will tell you that she has a serious pot addiction - lots of pots for her patio each filled with lots of flowers. Surely there are worse vices!
Vikki Schaack
This is Vikki Schaack who has worked 22 years at the greenhouse. She and her husband have 3 daughters, 2 sons-in-law and 4 grandchildren. Vikki loves to garden, quilt and do handwork. Her quilt guild volunteers their time by doing various quilting projects for those in need.
Vikki's love of gardening extends only to flowers as she admits, "Why grow vegetables when they already sell that stuff!" Vikki's artistic way with flowers shows up in many of the pots seen at Medary Acres.
Linda Whitaker
This is Linda Whitaker. She has worked at the greenhouse for 34 years. She and her husband, Allen, have 2 children, James and Jessica. Linda is active at her church and the local Fiber Works group.
Linda says she has been gardening for 34 years, but learned to love flowers as a child by watching her Mom garden.
