About Us
Melissa Daniels
Melissa Daniels has been in the nursery and landscape business for over 20 years. While attending Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA in 1987, Melissa started and operated her own landscape design and maintenance firm in Westhampton Beach, NY. Ms. Daniels eventually moved into the field of wholesale nursery production. Starting as an office manager, within three months Mrs. Daniels was promoted to the sales and inventory manager for East Coast Nurseries where she helped take the company from $1M to $4M annual sales in two years time. Ms. Daniels and Mr. Caggiano forged out together to start Plant Connection in 2002. Ms. Daniels is a New York State Nursery & Landscape Association board director and the current President for the Long Island Nursery & Landscape Association. Ms. Daniels is a Certified Nursery Landscape Professional in the state of New York and serves as a green walls committee member for Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. In addition, Ms. Daniels is a certified trainer for the Green Walls 101 Course offered by GRHC.
Anthony Caggiano
Anthony Caggiano has thirty years experience in the green industry. After graduating from the Nassau County BOCES Horticulture Program, Mr. Caggiano started with his own landscaping company in Massapequa, NY. Mr. Caggiano moved on to become the production manager for Quality Plants in Manorville, NY, taking that company to new heights in production techniques and overall quality and professionalism. Mr. Caggiano was recruited to help design, build, and run the container division for Moon Nurseries in Yardley, PA and Chesapeake City, MD. In 1996, Mr. Caggiano moved back to New York where he designed, built, and managed East Coast Nurseries, a 200-acre container nursery in Riverhead, NY. Mr. Caggiano and Mrs. Daniels left East Coast Nurseries and started Plant Connection in 2002. Mr. Caggiano has donated his time pro bono as an adjunct professor for the Horticulture Program at Suffolk County Community College. Mr. Caggiano is the former President of the Long Island Nursery and Landscape Association, former President of the Long Island Flower Growers' Association, and is currently a board director for the New York State Nursery Landscape Association. He is also a lifetime Certified Nursery Landscape Professional in the state of New York. Anthony proudly serves as a contributor to the green walls committee for Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.