MANUEL ARREGUIN

INSTALLATION FOREMAN

Manny is a certified landscape technician and has been with CBLD since 1997.  He takes pride in his attention to detail and is very knowledgeable with plant types and varieties.  An avid outdoorsman, Manny loves sharing his horticultural knowledge with his crew and the customers.  In his off time, Manny enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

JOHN PALENSKE

CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT MANAGER

RUSSELL BUVALA

HEAD GARDENER

Russ is a CBLD veteran, starting in 1988. He is passionate about all aspects of the gardening world, and finds inspiration from artists in his own family as well as around the world; gardens are his canvas.  Russ supervises the horticultural teams maintaining the CBLD gardens.  Part of his role with CBLD is to lead in the design and implementation of presentation gardens for specialty sites and events.  He also leads seminars and tours for a wide variety of gardeners and garden lovers.

HERMELINDO ALANIS

SENIOR GARDENER

Herme started with CBLD in 1993 and has worked his way up to the Senior Gardener level. He has since trained many of the Senior Gardeners and even more crew members. His love of gardening began in his native Mexico, growing everything from tomatoes and sweet potatoes to pumpkins, corn and peanuts. He loves to work in the garden and enjoys forests, lakes, and his favorite red maple and ginkgo trees.

ALFONSO HERNANDEZ

SENIOR GARDENER

Alfonso has been with CBLD since 1992. He loves creating gardens and working with perennials. In his spare time he keeps his home garden lush with Japanese maples and his favorite plant - the 'Casa Blanca' lily. He collects bird houses, and enjoys time with his family.

ROBERTO HERNANDEZ

SENIOR GARDENER

Roberto has been gardening since 1982.  He began as a grower and assisted with sales at a local nursery.  He joined CBLD in 1990 as a Senior Gardener.  He loves all plants and the new designs of perennial gardens.  In his spare time he enjoys working on his own shade garden under his favorite oak tree surrounded by rhododendrons and boxwoods.  His latest passion, Dwarf Conifers have found a place in his home as well.

LEAH PILON

SENIOR GARDENER

Leah began her love for plants in 2003. Leah's experience in horticulture began with installing native plants for the Lake County Forest Preserve.  She worked for a perennial grower and garden center, spent 3 years at the Chicago Botanic Garden, and found her way to CBLD in 2014.   Leah is an animal lover and is especially fond of dogs.

NORA KENNEDY

SENIOR GARDENER

Nora joined CBLD in 2017 and brings years of customer service experience with her. Nora has an excellent artistic eye, and enjoys working in and contributing to the beauty of gardens. She is an outdoor enthusiast and when not gardening, she enjoys hiking and biking with her family.

FELIPE ARREGUIN

ASSISTANT SENIOR GARDENER

Felipe joined the CBLD family in 2011, and is an integral part of the maintenance success of The Gardens at 900, where he spends the majority of his time tending to our show gardens. He also contributes his efforts at our nursery facility, and in his free time enjoys spending quality time with his family and going to the movies.

LEO DIAZ

ASSISTANT SENIOR GARDENER

Leo began work with CBLD in 1998. He is a quiet man filled with gardening knowledge. Ask him a question and you might be surprised to learn something about your own garden.

JOSE E. OCHOA

ASSISTANT SENIOR GARDENER

Jose joined CBLD in 2005.  He is a skilled trimmer and a strong leader.  Jose enjoys gardening at home as well as watching soccer and playing games with the family.

KEITH CARLSEN

NURSERY MANAGER

Keith heads the team that coordinates the operations out of our nursery facility in Wadsworth. He attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison and the College of Lake County, and brings with him 30+ years of experience in the construction industry as well as 8 years in manufacturing. In his spare time, he enjoys driving and working on old cars, and he also loves spending time outdoors, traveling to the northern wilderness, and fishing, even if it is just in the retention pond at our nursery!

STEPHANIE LINDEMANN

RETAIL COORDINATOR

Stephanie received her B.S. in Horticulture from Kansas State University. She began her career in horticulture working for public institutions such as Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia, and most recently, the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois, where she spent the last 17 years coordinating events with garden clubs, plant societies and the Woman’s Board of the Chicago Horticultural Society. Stephanie has a passion for connecting people with plants, and she is especially fond of spring blooming bulbs. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and of course gardening.

ALEXANDER BUVALA

PLANT PROCURER

Alex was raised in the CBLD family, and has spent the past 8 years working with the company, and he assumed his role in Plant Procurement in 2017. He brings with him a Bachelor’s Degree for Horticulture Design and Management from Iowa State University, where he also worked on the ISU Park Management Staff. Alex is interested in permaculture and aquaponics, and he also enjoys bird training, painting, and exploring the tastes of craft beers and wines.

JANE JOHNSON

HEAD GROWER

The Head Grower of all seasonal annual crops, Jane has been with CBLD since 1990. She received her BS in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She enjoys researching and trialing different plants, as well as visiting botanical gardens, trial gardens and locally grown venues. She also has a passion for all animals, loves her many pets, and is committed to animal rescue work.