GUILDERLAND — Phyllis Rosenblum lived in harmony with nature, blending the practical with the beautiful in her spacious yard, and sharing her love of gardening with others.

She died on Friday, May 2, 2025 at the age of 80.

“Phyllis was born in Hoopole, Illinois in 1944 to Mildred and Arthur Zinser,” her family wrote in a tribute. “She grew up on a small working farm, which sparked a life-long interest in horticulture.

“She attended Blackburn College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. She then moved to Chicago to begin her career, where she met Edwin Rosenblum, whom she married. The family moved to Albany in 1973 and then to Altamont in 1983 where she spent the remainder of her years.

“Phyllis spent many years in her gardens, which led her to join the Master Gardeners of the Cooperative Extension, where she volunteered for decades. She went back to college at SUNY Cobleskill to obtain a degree in landscape design, which she employed at her own home gardens as well as those of private homeowners and public parks. 

“She wrote a gardening column for many years at first the Knickerbocker News, and then the Albany Times Union. She also worked as a library clerk at the Vorheesville Public Library for many years.

“Phyllis had a lifetime love of animals, from the animals she helped raise on the farm to the many family pets that were kept over the years, and the wild birds she fed regularly. She always had an animal story to share.”

****

Phyllis A. Rosenblum is survived by her children, Joshua Rosenblum and his wife, Gabby, of Oak Park, Illinois, and Jesse Rosenblum of Brooklyn, New York; two grandchildren, Lucie and Vivian; and her brother, Roger Zinser. 

Her husband, Edwin Rosenblum, died before her.

A celebration of her life will be held at the George Landis Arboretum Meeting House, 200 Lape Rd, Esperance, NY 12066 on Saturday, July 26, at 1 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to Cooperative Extension, https://albany.cce.cornell.edu/donate