Last night, I posted on Facebook a photo of my Christmas tree, not yet fully decorated, while noting that I was very tired indeed. My schedule from spring up to this day has been filled with activity related to plants and container gardening, and during this time of year, decorating the home for the holidays with fresh evergreens and decor.

But, as I sat down last evening, it hit me. I was feeling pretty exhausted from lots of activity, but happy all the same. This year was filled with classes, Walk & Talk Garden tours where friends offered their gardens to be showcased free to anyone interested in attending, plants sales, and container gardening installs. Sometimes I will push myself to do events and I’m definitely driven by the fact I enjoy what I do but it is mixed also with ups and downs of emotions, meaning I get so excited (an up!), then sometimes I worry about the details (the downs!)

Worrying about details can be counter productive because there is so much you can not control in the gardening world. Plants get bugs, they may fail, or look weak – but I always want the best of the best so I will stress, look over my stock, scout and make sure all are doing fine – for my annual Container Gardening Workshop, as an example in May – or for the greens used this month for my annual Kissing Ball and Holiday Creations Workshop in December. I always want every thing to be just right – or as perfect as possible.

I got so hyped up at my last class, I thought I was going to faint when I was going over details with the attendees before they started making their kissing balls, wreaths, and holiday arrangements with greens. It kind of reminded me of the panic which set it when I did my first tv gig.  I was “soooo nervous.” I literally thought I may pass out before the start of my talk.

But I still did it and do it – Why? I sometimes think, why did I say yes to something that made me so nervous?! The answer to that question is obvious – because I love doing anything related to plants and container gardening, and while I may not be the most polished speaker in the world – I wouldn’t miss a chance to share what I know when asked, and so I proceed, even if the situation is a little out of my element or nerve wracking. After many talks now, it is not as difficult as it was when I started being asked to do talks – and I love doing them, even when busy and racing around with various activity.

This year, I was honored to be asked to speak to the Advance Master Gardeners Group in Tolland, CT for a session in September on Container Gardening Design, Care, and More. Then, my stupid laptop had major issues, so major in fact that I had no time to finalize my presentations, so I started getting nervous.  I begged the Master Gardener Coordinator to reschedule me – and thus, she did – to November 19th.  She kindly agreed (Thank you Deb P!).

If someone would have told me – you will be speaking to Advance Master Gardeners in November during the evening when temps were somewhat cold and we are approaching the winter season – which is not necessarily container gardening season – I would have thought it nuts, but I spent over 2 hours sharing a great deal of knowledge I’ve gained over the years as a container gardening fanatic and as an installer of container gardens as a business with my audience.

I thought about what I could offer that would be different – and some of it was the different types of tools for design which people may not consider, which I use all the time in my inspirational pool of … well, of, I don’t know the right word there – but what I mean is I try different stuff and tools that may be nontraditional when I design containers and gardens to gain inspiration and more.

And the response by the Master Gardener audience that evening during my presentation made up of 5 modules was amazing, they didn’t want me to stop talking. They commented on the documentation I provided too – saying they don’t get that much in other talks, which I took as a complement.  And two ladies approached me after the talk saying they want me to come visit them at their location south of Hartford. I jotted down their contact info – and then off I went to get busy with my evergreen orders and classes for December – so I still haven’t called those two ladies back yet (I will, I will – I promise!).

Another thing that surprised me was a request to do my edibles container gardening talk in February!  The group said of course, they would love to hear about edibles in container gardens during the winter – so that is up next, after a rest over the holiday week coming up and maybe a little more right after. And after having the luxury to do plant orders for next spring – which is a fun activity – and I’m excited (a big up!) about that as I take my knowledge and experience to select the best plants for next season’s Container Garden Workshop theme – which is going to be about powerful perennials in container gardens.

In addition to the Walk & Talk tours, I held many container garden talks this past year with a special focus of combining edibles in mixed container gardens as “design” elements (meaning their beautiful features – not even the fact they make a good snack when you admire your container gardens), and ‘nature with art ‘ classes with guest speakers, and offering my Big Container Garden Workshop at my classroom location in Broad Brook, CT for the first time, and – lets see, talks and visits at various Farmers Market and more – well, the activity was non-stop. It kept going – all good news!!

This is not to imply, however, that I’m as busy as I could be – I want more work and hope you will consider me for your container gardens in the upcoming season – Oh YAH!  Thanks to the homeowners and business people whom hire me repeatedly every year – you make me so happy – you do not know. When I’m at your home or business installing your container gardens, I think to myself – I’m sooooo happy doing this!! I’m so happy doing this!!  I could do container gardens 24 x 7 allll day long and be happy – why, I guess it is my passion!!

So – anyhow, not to babble – which I know I am at the moment, this post is just to say thank you to everyone supporting my efforts as part of my business, called Cathy T’s Landscape Designs, and my blog called, Container Crazy CT.

Oh, a friend just asked me on Sunday, when she came by to purchase some holly greens for her containers at home, why I changed my business name to Container Crazy CT?

My business name is still the same, but my focus is less on garden design and more on all service offerings related to container gardening – all things container gardening – installs, classes, and more – and offering monthly classes where nature is combined with art with guest speakers, and offering garden tours.  I’m doing less of the landscape design work specifically, but do offer general consultations on gardens or landscapes. I’ll update my blog on all my 2015 service offerings in the new year.

You know, at the beginning of this year – I wrote 5 goals on my black board in my office — You know how they say, write a dream board or goal board, and it will happen?  Well, all of my goals, except one, happened! The one that didn’t, I had put an X on it and said wait til 2015.  It was about transforming this blog into a more professional format, which I hope to do in 2015.

As for the other goals I listed, well, if you want to know what they are – contact me, I will tell you.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

It is time for bit of rest (and gift shopping and cooking for me) – I’ll be back very soon…

Cathy Testa
860-977-9473 (cell)
containercathy@gmail.com (email)
http://www.cathytesta.com
Blog: Container Crazy CT