The Making of Iola Gardens

By Dustin & Alan

Beginnings Rooted in Difference

Before Iola was a garden, it was a feeling. A dream. A place we held in our minds long before we ever put our hands in its soil.

We met in 2008, living next door to each other in Portland, Oregon. From the very beginning, we were drawn to one another’s differences—Dustin with his quiet earthiness and artistic instinct; Alan with his strong sense of purpose and a mind wired to build. What united us, more than anything, was the shared understanding of what it meant to feel a little different.

In 2013, our story was featured in The Gay Men Project. We talked about growing up gay in small Oregon towns, in places where difference often meant silence. But from that silence, we each found something resilient: a longing for beauty, connection, and freedom.

Vashon Island became that place. In 2012, we bought the land that would one day become Iola Gardens. We didn’t yet know what it would be—but we knew what we wanted it to feel like. Peaceful. Wild. Designed with care. Alive.

Dustin – From Dirt to Design

Dustin has always been a gardener. From early childhood, he was the one poking around in the soil, rearranging flower beds, fascinated by rocks, patterns, and the way life unfolded at ground level. He earned a degree in Environmental Science and took art history classes with a minor in Geology—because understanding what’s beneath the surface has always mattered to him.

In 2012, he founded D&A Gardens, a garden design and landscaping company now trusted with some of the largest and oldest gardens in Seattle and on Vashon Island. He leads a team of three, proving that small, passionate teams can create enduring beauty.

But it’s not just about plants. Dustin is an artist at heart—Enjoys painting and photography, and always drawn to light, texture, and shape. Whether he’s planting a shade garden or designing a stone path, he’s painting with nature.

His favorite truck is his Chevrolet 3500 with a dump bed—though he’ll tell you that if he could, he’d drive a Fiat Spider again. It's that tension—between grit and grace—that defines Dustin.

Alan – Building the Bones

Alan grew up around engines and wrenches, raised by his father Malcolm Rose, a master mechanic who ran a local repair shop. Those early lessons—how to fix, how to think, how to finish what you start—shaped everything that came next.

Alan served in the U.S. Air Force, became a Staff Sergeant, and later transitioned to the private sector, rising through roles at Providence, AWS, and now Intel, where he leads AI and Edge Software Strategy for global go-to-market and revenue operations.

But for all the big systems and corporate strategy, Alan has never lost his love for building with his hands. He restored the barn and the house and built the cedar sauna at Iola Gardens, doing 90% of the construction with Dustin and the help of friends.

He owns a 1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass, which he’s owned since he was 17 and over the last 5 years has been restoring alongside his brother, Nick Rose (Insta), who owns Nick’s Auto Repair in Corvallis, Oregon. Nick also designed and welded the metal garden fences and gates working with Alan. Nick has a passion for Metal work.

Alan’s energy is grounding. He is the logical realist behind Dustin’s organic vision, the one who ensures things last, that beauty also functions. Where Dustin works with rhythm, Alan brings structure.

Iola – A Living Collaboration

Together, we started carving Iola Gardens out of wild land in 2012. What was once an overgrown lot has become an intentional, immersive space:

• The Barn: Rebuilt beam-by-beam into a rustic gathering hall.

• The House: Renovated with natural light and flow in mind.

• The Sauna: A hidden gem for rest and warmth.

• The Gardens: Designed by Dustin—alive with pollinators, stone pathways, lush textures, and year-round interest.

• The Metal Fencing: A collaboration between Alan and Nick—bold, beautiful, and built to last.

Each of these elements were placed by hand, built with the help of family, friends, and an endless stream of determination. Dustin’s mom, Shari, and his brother, Brady, have been essential collaborators. Shari shows up, tools in hand, whenever needed. Brady lived with us for two years, becoming part of the garden’s soul.

In June 2025, we were honored to be featured in the Vashon Island Garden Tour—a decade after planting our first tree.

Hosting With Heart

We got married at Iola Gardens in August of 2015, before the property was even finished. That spirit of celebration, of trusting the process, of welcoming others into imperfection—that’s what Iola is all about.

This space isn’t just for us. It’s for weddings, retreats, dinners, healing, and reflection. We host because we believe in presence. In care. In sensory joy.

We’re not here to churn events through a system. We’re here to offer something real.

Who We Are Today

We live on-site. We hike. We travel. We cook. We host bonfires and wine nights and family dinners. We dream up new ideas at sunrise and fall asleep thinking about color palettes and stone patterns.

Dustin still sketches out garden plans by hand. Alan still checks the torque on his own wheels. And together, we continue shaping Iola—not just as a venue, but as a way of life.