A Lifelong Gardener

Jessica grew up in a family that always had a vegetable garden at home surrounded by flower gardens. The Burda family always lived in homes full of beautiful houseplants with a vase of fresh flowers on the kitchen table. And never forgot fresh vegetables or a salad with lunch and dinner.

Gardening is in her DNA, stretching back generations on both sides. Born in Madison, she also spent summers as a kid and later as a teen and in college assisting her father, a landscape designer, with his own former gardening business - Door County Natural Gardens. Later as an adult, she realized that not everyone grew up like she did as she became the go-to garden friend to ask questions for help and how-to.

Jessica worked professionally as a communications, social media and public relations expert in the private sector and for the Wisconsin Badgers, most notably helping lead the athletic department’s communication office and managing the UWBadgers.com website from 2016-2024. She often turned to nature and spending time outdoors in her own gardens to deal with stress and burnout in a highly-demanding career with long hours and significant travel away from family.

Entrepreneur, Creator and Coaching Educator

With a passion for health, wellness and connecting with the natural world, she founded Burda Growing Better in 2024 after years of dreaming of starting her own coaching and garden design business. She now brings together her love of plants and nature, creative design and coaching every day to help others learn to garden and grow better. She also continues to utilize her extensive skills as a writer, storyteller and designer to create online through photography, video, art and other digital projects to grow her business and as a consultant for other media organizations and entrepreneurs.

Jessica provides free Garden Coach Q&A opportunities at her booth at the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market on several Sundays during the summer (2025-present). This is a way to share and help interested gardeners without gatekeeping. She’s also planning to offer free learning opportunities through informational sessions at local public libraries in addition to affordable gardening classes hosted in the area.

She and her husband Tim met while playing rugby and both retired from active competition after winning national championships with their local teams. When she’s not outside, she’s a certified rugby coaching educator with USA Rugby and World Rugby helping sports teams and other small businesses grow better too. She regularly integrates her extensive experience and education as a successful high-performance sports coach to help others learn in the garden and business too.

She volunteers in the community as a certified Master Gardener when she’s not wearing her business hat.

Current Education, Certifications & Member Affiliations

• American Horticultural Society, 2026 - Present (Member)

  • AHS 2026 Horticultural Design Course (Self-Paced), Ongoing

• Gardenary Kitchen Garden Consultant Certification (Self-Paced), Ongoing

• Madison Business Collective, 2025-Present (Member)

• UW Small Business Development Center, 2025-Present

• Starting Block Level Set, June 2025 (Six-Week Business Feasibility Course)

• Wisconsin Master Gardener, University of Wisconsin Extension 2024 - Present (Volunteer)

  • Foundations in Gardening Course, UW Extension Fall 2023

• USA Rugby & World Rugby Certified Coaching Education Trainer, 2016-Present

• University of Wisconsin-Madison, M.A. Strategic Communications

• University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, B.S. Mass Communications

Future Educational Plans

Jessica is actively researching and pursuing coursework to enhance her education and experience as a landscape designer and horticulturalist. As schedule and budget allows, Jessica will be enrolling in educational courses and certification programs through some or all of the following programs:

• Longwood Gardens: Landscape Design Certificate (Online Courses)

• Chicago Botanical Garden: Garden Design Certificate (In-Person & Online Courses)

• American Horticultural Society: Horticultural Design & Technique Certificate (Online)

• Permaculture and Sustainability coursework

She is interested in hands-on or other more practical educational opportunities to continue to enhance her own knowledge and experience while helping others. She’d also love to take courses in the U.K. or Europe. Jessica is currently not interested in pursuing an additional university degree program (but never say never 😉).