Linda Graham
Linda Graham, owner of Budding Artists, Ltd., started her career literally following her dad's footsteps... between rows of vegetables in the family garden. But it took some years to realize that gardening would become her livelihood. Studies in painting and graphic design had her on a different path, until one fateful summer when she impulsively chose a perennial gardening job over her graphic artist post. She was surprised to learn about plants so quickly, though it seemed intuitive. And applying her artistic skills to that knowledge was as natural as picking one of dad's tomatoes on a summer day.
In the 25+ years since that introduction, Linda's enthusiasm has not wavered. Gardening involves teaching as well as learning, building relationships with customers and employees, alike; it involves hard, challenging work that, with patience, yields beauty and balance. Working with nature has taught her that balance is more than a design goal, it permeates every part of life.
Rose Ivanec
Rose Ivanec began her career with Budding Artists in 2016, already sporting a perfect name for someone working in a gardening business. However, being named after a flower is the least of her virtues. Her tremendous work ethic and remarkable ability to quickly learn new information catapulted her to a leadership position almost immediately.
Rose's official title is operations manager, but it seems inadequate to describe her role. She can be found wherever things need doing and never shies from any task, be it labor-intensive or creating beautiful works of art with her fantastic flowering urn combinations.
Her charm, wit and willingness to go the extra mile has made her irreplaceable to her boss, crew and customers. The only problem with Rose, is that there is only one of her.
Katherine Nash
Katherine Nash, a fresh face for Budding Artists in 2019, is ideal in her role as field manager. Reliable, ebullient and dedicated, her most common catchphrase is, "can do!". Though she keeps a low-key profile in the business, that will surely change as her creative skills are increasingly evident through her beautiful planting arrangements.
Two of Katherine's greatest contributions to the business are her patience and attention to detail. While her co-workers are often whirling madly through the demands of a busy spring, she can be found calmly attending to matters requiring the utmost focus and perseverance. As she fills
this much-needed niche, her peers are continually delighted by her excellent humor and charming anecdotes, which
add much enjoyment to any given day.