Jessa fell in love with the outdoors at a young age. She began gardening with her grandpa, who grew an abundant fruit and veggie garden. During the summers in high school, she tended yards and learned from the homeowners. In college, she took several courses from her professor and mentor "BP," which opened her eyes to the connection between faith and stewardship of the earth. She later developed a love of succulents, and dove into propagation. After discovering the importance of native plants, she has learned seed collection, germination, and propagation techniques for her native plant nursery. Self-taught, she reads countless books and learns from the shared knowledge of the native plant community. She credits on-the-job training as a crew member with Backyard Botanicals and wisdom from her native plant mentor, Elizabeth Kuhn, for her continued growth as a native plant landscaper and designer.