With this bloggers permission, here I am reblogging a BEAUTIFUL photo. Water and nature, aw, just love this. Enjoy, Cathy T
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Help! I’m bored with my Landscape Design Software.
1 Comment
I remember the very first day I saw PRO Landscape, a design imaging software for landscaper professionals. Reaction was something like, “OMG – this is so cool!” I couldn’t wait to play with it.
The part of the program I fell in love with immediately is where you can overlay plant images on actual downloaded photos of various landscape areas or garden beds. It was so visual.
From that point on, I dove into the program and started to learn and use it. Clients like it too. They like seeing the images of what their home could look like with the plants recommended. It works in many cases.
However, after five or so years of using this program, and evolving my style of design presentations – I felt a little bored with the software program. Things like not having specific cultivars to choose from or seeing the same images of the plants with the same bloom color, felt repetitive and limiting. Let’s face it, after a while, dropping and dragging the same dwarf Alberta spruce onto a photo is – well, uninspiring.
I’m not suggesting that the program does not provide “tremendous value” as way to show images to homeowners on what their landscape could look like with the plants recommended, because this program certainly does. And coupled with my additional presentation documents, such as details about the plants and other photos I’ve built up with color swatches of my own, it can do wonders to help any homeowner with their design needs.
Maybe it is not the program itself I’m bored with, but that I’m yearning for something more inspiring – I’m searching for a different way to present my design ideas, choices, features, and the rewards one can achieve with a well thought-out garden or landscape design concept.
I know I really enjoy when I ‘walk and talk’ plants with a client onsite at a nursery versus pointing to a presentation with created images. Being with the live plants is like being at a live rock concert versus watching it on the television.
In my searches for other potential software programs out there, I have had no luck until recently when I spotted an article in the January 2014 issue of greenProfit by Jennifer Polanz on Landscape Software, titled, “An Irresistible Image”. I thought, oh cool, I’m going to check these out, and I did – today.
First on the list was PRO Landscape by Drafix Software – already know all about it, been using it. But like I said, I’m bored with this type of software, and you are probably bored right now hearing me say that!!
Next on the article’s list was DynaScape. It has stuff to manage the landscape business (office paperwork) but it also has several types of options or programs to select from in their product list (this is good – choices, at least).
The DynaScape ‘Color’ program seems pretty cool – probably attracts me because it is the closest thing to “artist-like” where it looks like you hand drew the design. The design is finished off with really nice color tones, shades, etc. BUT, it is pricey and must be worth the investment. So before jumping into something like this, I still want to look around some more.
By the way, did you know these types of design software packages can cost $1,200-$1,500 to purchase? Granted, you make your money back if you use it regularly, and are able to achieve your goals of presenting designs to your clients – no doubt, but they aren’t cheap.
Ok, back to Dynascape’s Color program. It’s listed at $650 (not too bad) but there is a plus, as in a + sign, of a $4.25 per month charge – for what? I didn’t look that over, moved onto the next one in the greenPROFIT article.
Idea Spectrum was next. You can import photos into this program as well, similar to PRO Landscape. But, I didn’t seem to like it from the first look. You know how you can make an immediate impression when you view something on the web? My immediate impression was Idea Spectrum appeared too amateurish for me. It has 3D features, which is cool – but still, it looked a little – I don’t know – rough, not polished enough for my needs and ideas.
So, I quickly clicked my web browser to view next one by Vectorworks Landmark. Oh, too high tech for me, fancy, commercial work – too big time for Cathy T. Move on.
Ok, onto Visual Impact Imaging by Earthscapes. Well, I’ve seen this one before in person, when I attended a trade show about three years ago. I distinctly remember watching the demo and thinking – this is so like PRO Landscape. Why would I change? Plus I know how to use PRO Landscape, and the thought of a learning curve can be wide if you don’t know have training with these types of programs. They can be a little tricky to learn and master. Earthscapes also is about the same price range as PRO Landscape, about $1,195.
After doing a very fast view of the Landscape design software from the highlights in the greenProfit article, I went into my completed design presentation files of last year’s design clients. I had almost forgotten about some that I did, and the work I added to each image, such as my plant descriptions and my own plant photos with color charts. Looking back made me recall how impressed the client was when I showed them general ideas to change a bed in their yards with the images I created using PRO Landscape.
PRO Landscape a good product – not saying it isn’t – but I guess the other side of me is searching for something a bit more, or different – Something maybe crafty, artsy, focused on the plants or… maybe it is just me? Maybe it is winter!
Well, I guess for now, until I find something else that more suits me, it is back to using PRO Landscape, which I have to reload onto my new laptop, and this will be a little bit of a chore, considering the program is on CD’S– and there is no CD drive on my new laptop. Time for a visit to the computer store!
However, in the meantime, if you should happen to be reading this – and know of any really cool new design programs which are different from the typical landscape design software, and its easy to use, while being inspiring too – could you let me know, please? Thank you.
Happy Friday Everyone,
Cathy Testa
Mommy, Where do baby Praying Mantis come from?
9 CommentsChinese praying mantis (or Tenodera aridifolia sinensis) are commonly seen by many people in their gardens from time to time, but perhaps not so common of a sighting is that of the actual birth place of baby praying mantises.
Well, my darlings – this is where baby praying mantids come from.
It is called an ootheca – or you can just call it the egg case, or birthing place of tiny baby mantis.
This one was spotted this winter on a fullmoon Japanese maple tree in my backyard. You can see it looks papery and is attached to a twig, where it becomes dry and tough to survive winter.
After the mommy mantis lays her eggs in her styrofoam looking egg case (the ootheca), which is secreted from her unmentionables, she unfortunately dies. Her army of tiny babies will have to enter the world on their own in the spring.
But the good news is her little baby eggs remain protected until they are ready to make their first appearance.
(If only I knew exactly when, I’d love to capture photos of the baby praying mantises coming out of the ootheca!)
However, there are some photos available via VIRALNOVA.COM of baby mantids emerging. Just click the link below to see the little babies — they are so tiny and cute.
http://www.viralnova.com/mantis-birth/
Aren’t they just adorable? Apparently, all the eggs (some say as many as 200) will hatch at the same time. These little newborns enter the big nature world all together. (Did you know they are born so tiny? I didn’t.)
http://13tmp.wordpress.com/2013/12/21/macro-mantis-on-my-fingertips/
Check out “13tmp blog” via the link above to see an amazing photo captured of a tiny mantis on finger tips. Nice macro, wouldn’t you say?
http://entomologytoday.org/2013/12/22/do-female-praying-mantises-always-eat-the-males/
There are lots of stories about the acts of a female mantises eating her male potential partners somewhere during the mating process. Well, in a study published by Entomologytoday, (see above link), it appears they only desire the smaller males as a meal. And perhaps the head of a larger male as dessert or an appetizer? Don’t worry though – the male still can “get it on” despite being headless, and this keeps the female sufficiently happy.
“Yah, ummm, the mommy mantis lays her one or two hundred eggs in this styrofoam mass in the fall, but before this, she eats daddy – but only if he was born small and short. Otherwise, he has a few “duties” to accomplish and this can be done even if he’s headless.”
Guess there’s not a lot of foreplay in this mantis’s relationship. She doesn’t eat the males while mating, but may have a bite or two as an aphrodisiac.
http://lexyleksono.com/2014/01/06/photography-yellow-praying-mantis/
Or you could just change the subject to avoid the whole mommy and daddy mating gig, and show them a yellow praying mantis!
Check out “lexylesono” blog above. A very rare sighting to see a yellow one, if not impossible, for our region.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlCEJyNlDqY
Seriously, praying mantids are way smarter than we think, this is for sure. Besides ambushing predators, they serve as radar detectors. For another distraction of discussing the eating rituals before mating, just show your kid the video above. So, that’s where speeding tickets come from! Mystery solved.
Last summer, I accidentally sprinkled a praying mantis with water from my garden hose as he was perched on a yucca plant. I don’t think he liked me very much. I could tell, as he turned his head over to look at me, that he was displeased indeed. Their head swivel action makes them very unique in the bug world, for not many insects have this special ability – plus it gives you that eerie feeling that he just may spit up nasty green pea soup towards you next!
Praying mantis are always positioned, it seems, to strike. Their grasping forelegs are armed to snag whatever meal may happen to unknowingly pass before them as they sit and patiently wait.
The leg segment near their body is called a coxa, which is elongated, so their arms tend to be positioned in a “praying” position, but the only thing they are praying for is their unsuspecting passerby. The strike in ‘kung fu’ style.
I know, I tried to pick one up once and screeched as it whipped its grasping legs at me.
Did you know praying mantis eat all kinds of insects – even the good bees? And they enjoy spiders too. But they tend to be good guys because they take care of pest insects regularly. Plus, they are so amazing to watch and photograph, you just can’t resist their alluring body architecture, big bulging eyes, and sleek slow movements. And silently, but deadly, nature.
References I have in stock on insects:
“Bugs in the System” by May R. Berenbaum
“Peterson First Guides. Insects” by Christopher Leahy
Happy Monday Everyone,
Cathy Testa
Is Mother Nature Sharing Her Own Version of Menopause?
3 Comments
Mother Nature is on some kind of roller coaster, or she is issuing her own version of menopause upon us this winter. One day she’s hot, the next day she’s cold, and in the most unusual places.
Perhaps she is trying to tell us something. Is she setting down signs? Does she want to warn us to take better care of our earth? One has to wonder why she is so moody this year.
While some of the winter conditions this year have been traditional, other conditions have been unexpected or unusual. And many places have experienced drastic ups and downs in temperatures from one day to the next.
As we are all well aware, Atlanta was hit with an unusual winter storm event earlier this week resulting in traffic nightmares beyond comprehension. People were stuck in their cars over eight hours in some cases – and struggled as they spun their wheels (literally) over ice covered roads only to move a couple inches, if any.
One news story indicated a father walked six miles to retrieve his child from the school where many students remained overnight because of the inability to get a way home through the traffic jams. Another story showed two people handing out bottled water and bananas to people waiting in their cars on the highway. As the couple proceeded to the next vehicle, the lady fell right onto her back onto the roadway as her foot lost grip of the road. It was even dangerous to help.
Yet, the Atlanta people will have a reprieve from their frustrating weather incident almost immediately as their local temperatures returned to the 50’s this week, and is expected to rise into the 60’s by the weekend. They may not have to think about a winter coat, spinning tires, ice scrapping, or shoveling for quite some time – if ever again this winter. Granted their politicians will be thinking about these scenarios for a long time due to their role of managing “Mother Nature” inappropriately. But other than that, hopefully this weather struggle will be a far away memory for them.
For us New England’ers, however, the struggle of dealing with cold temperatures will continue for days if not a couple more months. And Miss Mother Nature will continue to remind us of her controlling powers as we deal with each day of the chilly temperatures and gray skies, with an occasional sunny day to enjoy as a treat or gift on her good days.
It doesn’t help matters that we hear the constant chatter on the weather television stations about how cold it is every day. This only serves as a continual reminder. In fact, it probably makes us feel colder. We can’t seem to get it out of our minds. Each time there is a drop in the temperatures, the news stations seem to go into a frenzy of how awful it will be to deal with, and while we need those forecasts to prepare for our day, we could use to hear a little bit of the plus side of the cold, but gosh, what is it? It certainly can be challenging to answer that question.
Additionally, there hasn’t been a great deal of snow to play with. Sometimes the dull-drums of the winter blues can be easily cured with a snowshoe walk on a wooded trail or with a day of sledding with your children on your favorite hill. Perhaps a chance to forget for an hour or so of how the cold temperatures are. You can go skiing, ice fishing, or skating if that is your fancy and this will ward off the Mother Nature blues for the time being.
But, unfortunately, it feels like we are seeing continued brown landscapes, lack of sunshine, and experiencing cold chills the minute we walk out the door. We are still pressing the auto-car start buttons for our vehicles, grabbing our hats, gloves and scarves, and bundling up when we go outdoors. And our pets certainly let us know, the best thing to do is succumb to it, curl up on a blanket, and sleep it off.
On the occasional sunny, clear skied days – there is a bit of – well “sunlight” to enjoy. This makes cold temperatures a bit more manageable to endure. And if you are lucky enough to break away from work to visit a greenhouse on a sunny winter day, you can capture the warmth of the sun even more while you are inside the greenhouse. This will provide immediately relief, which is highly recommended. You may even feel the inspiration of spring while you enjoy this type of greenhouse spa treatment.
Sometimes, on a really cold day, if our blessed sun is beaming towards you or your house, take a moment to face the sun and close your eyes just for a few minutes. Imagine it is the sun of the summer for as long as you can endure the frigid temps if you do this outdoors. While you stand there, please tell Mother Nature that you promise if she stops playing these games, we will be kinder to her fellow partner, Mother Earth. Promise her this, and maybe offer her a foot rub too, to help her cope with her version of menopause temperature swings.
And don’t forget to mention, that you do remember her powers as depicted in the old 70’s Chiffon margarine television commercials. Don’t you all remember? The commercial reminded us that…
“It’s not nice to fool with Mother Nature.”
Happy Friday Everyone.
Stay Cool – I know it won’t be difficult.
Cathy Testa
Spotted at a Greenhouse in Old Wethersfield, CT – Comstock Ferry
Somehow these roots gives us hope to the warm season to follow. They certainly seemed to enjoying the sun’s rays!
Coral honeysuckle bud
Leave a commentA great way to start the 2014 New Year is to share a beautiful honeysuckle bud photo by Steven Schwartzman of “Portraits of Wildflowers.” He lists some tips too on how to capture photos of nature. Check it out! Cathy Testa
On December 4, 2013, when I spent a damp and overcast hour or two at the Arbor Walk pond in north-central Austin, I was surprised to find coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens, budding and flowering on the same side of the pond where I’d found it before but on the opposite side of the year from its norm. Oh well, as botanists have been known to quip, wildflowers don’t read field guides. And as with almost every plant out there in nature, notice the faint spiderwebs on this honeysuckle.
If you’re interested in photography as a craft, you’ll find that points 1, 2, 5 and 6 in About My Techniques are relevant to this photograph.
© 2014 Steven Schwartzman
2013 in Review of this Blog
2 CommentsThe WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 27,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 10 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
In 2013, there were 142 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 266 posts. There were 956 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 2 GB. That’s about 3 pictures per day.
The busiest day of the year was December 7th with 256 views. The most popular post that day was Three Easy Ways to Use Mesh Ribbon for Holiday Decorating.
https://cathytesta.wordpress.com/2013/12/07/counting-the-final-hours-til-the-evergreens-class-begins/ —>This was the post on your most popular recent day of December 7th, 2013.
Attractions in 2013
These are the posts that got the most views in 2013.
- 1 Three Easy Ways to Use Mesh Ribbon for Holiday Decorating
- 2 How to Overwinter Tropical Hibiscus
- 3 Burgundy Hearts Redbud Cercis canadensis ‘Greswan’
- 4 Picea glauca ‘Conica’ (Dwarf Alberta Spruce)
- 5 Petasites japonicus – A star or stalker?
How did they find this blog?
The top referring sites in 2013 were:
Some visitors came searching, mostly for petasites japonicus, moss topiary mannequin heads, sansevieria, picea glauca conica, and musa basjoo. This means people like to learn about plants – so this blog will focus more on plant topics in 2014. Be sure to visit – look under “The Plants” link above in 2014 for more soon to follow.
Where did they come from?
Most visitors came from The United States. Canada & The United Kingdom were not far behind. Why the Canada – perhaps the many relatives of Cathy T? Why the UK – because Cathy T likes reading about gardeners in the UK and they’ve noticed Cathy T’s blog too. Pretty cool, reach the world via blogging!
Who were they?
The most commented on post in 2013 was Cultivating a Future Farmer at Local Farmers Markets on this blog.
Most Active Commenters Are:
And most importantly, Cathy Testa’s 5 most active commenters on this blog, “Container Crazy Cathy T“, continue to be Bonnie (another blogger for CT – check her site out!), Dianne T, Gwennies Garden, Joyful Reflections Photography (love her photography work too!), and Jenny (another fellow blogger).
A BIG HUGE THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS PROVIDING SUPPORTING AND FEEDBACK – KEEP IT COMING! 🙂
Thank you to all!
Thank you to my followers, clients, friends, gardening buddies, and family. If you are a former or future class attendee of Cathy T’s offerings, remember by clicking FOLLOW BLOG VIA EMAIL (see right menu list), you will receive coupons for future events. Big event coming up in May 2014 is the “THE BIG CONTAINER GARDEN CLASS” in Broad Brook, CT.
To sign up, see the CLASSES links at the top of this blog or email containercathy@gmail.com.
Happy New Year. Let’s hope 2014 continues to bring us growing opportunities in our lives and gardens.
Cathy Testa
QUIET TIME
2 Comments
May your Holiday be as Sparkly as Your Ornaments
All will be quiet on the “Container Crazy Cathy T” blog until 2014 arrives
In the meantime:
Enjoy. Peace. Love.
Be Safe and Merry,
Cathy Testa
8 Holiday Recipes for Your Dog Too!
4 CommentsI utilize a pet sitter for my three cats (and plants during the summer) when traveling. It is a service of tremendous value to my family, so when Pricilla Liang of DogVacay Blog reached out to me regarding holiday recipes for pets – and I realized DogVacay is also providing a valuable service by coordinating pet sitters with pet lovers around the country – the timing of this guest post by DogVacay could not be more appropriate.
As we have our treasured pets surround us in a room filled with holiday guests, we must also remember to keep an eye on our pets too because they are tempted to eat or sneak human treats. And also to keep them away from eating evergreens with red berries, such as Holly, used to decorate all around your home.
The evergreens or wrong food can make pets ill — and so, here are some alternatives by DogVacay Blog in their article titled: “8 Holiday Recipes for Your Dog Too!” written by Caroline on their site.
With written request and permission by Pricilla Liang, the Community Outreach Coordinator of DogVacay, it is a “guest post” I’m glad to share with my audience.
DogVacay is located in Santa Monica, CA. They offer approved hosts of pet sitters in many areas around the country, including Hartford, CT. You can find the link to the Hartford host site at the bottom of this post.
8 Holiday Recipes for Your Dog Too!
by Caroline (of DogVacay)
(source: agcrescue.org)
The holidays give us more than enough reason to spend time with our families and eat amazing food. Your dog will certainly be a part of the festivities, and he’ll patiently sit by the table as the humans eat their traditional dishes of a beautiful roasted turkey and gravy covering everything in sight. However, there are foods that you shouldn’t offer your pets, no matter how powerful their puppy dog stare is. To make this wonderful time of love a special one for your best friend, we’ve come up with recipes that serve as “doggy alternatives” to the usual holiday dishes you’ll see. This way, every member of the family can be spoiled with the spirit of the season, and it will be completely worth it to see how happy your pooch is from the feast prepared just for him!
(source: bestbullysticks.com)
1. Turkey Smorgasbord in a Bowl
Ingredients: Skinless turkey pieces, cooked oatmeal, cubed sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy; Prep time: 30 minutes
When that big bird sits prettily on your table, you’ll have everyone’s mouths watering, not excluding your pets. Luckily, with such a large bird to share, you will most likely have enough leftovers to prepare a little Thanksgiving feast for your pooch. We’ve found a recipe that creates a hefty bowl of goodness, and advise that you omit the gravy if you want to lessen the fat content. Also, be sure to remove any turkey skin still on the bird. We guarantee that your dog will gobble-gobble it up, and don’t blame us for the excessive drooling!
(source: kitchendaily.com)
2. Stuffing Dog Treats
Ingredients: Whole wheat flour, plain gluten-free breadcrumbs, dried parsley, pure pumpkin, eggs, organic turkey baby food, warm water; Prep time: 1 hour
No Thanksgiving is complete without good ol’ stuffing. Since regular stuffing that your family enjoys contain ingredients like onions and garlic (which are harmful to pets), try out this alternative! Watch this video tutorial on how to make soft, cookie-like treats that will stuff your pup full of holiday stuffing! Your pup will be thanking their lucky stars they have a mama who takes the time to prepare such yummy goodies for them!
(source: atasteofkoko.com)
3. Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins with Mashed Potato Icing
Ingredients: Eggs, honey, olive oil, canned pumpkin, cinnamon powder, Amaranth flour, ground ginger, baking powder, baking soda, fresh cranberries; Prep time: 1 hour
You’ll be blown away by this unique, pup-friendly combination of traditional holiday favorites. Although you might not find the combination particularly scrumptious, we promise these flavors will come together to transform into a tasty bonanza for your pet. Follow this recipe and as an extra treat, top the muffins off with fluffy mashed potatoes. We won’t judge you if you go ahead and take a bite… or two.
(source: sheknows.com)
4. Dognog
Ingredients: Plain low fat, organic yogurt, organic baby food, eggs, water; Prep time: 5 minutes
A holiday gathering simply isn’t complete without a hefty pour of eggnog. While your pup shouldn’t sample the adult eggnog, we’ve discovered a pup-friendly recipe that will have your pup barking for more! Now your pup can join in with dognog, a safe alternative that you can learn how to make here. If you really want to spoil Fido, a banana slice as garnish will add an extra kick.
(source: pattywhackdogs.com)
5. Pu(m)pkin Pie
Ingredients: Canned pumpkin, plain low-fat yogurt, whole wheat flour, oatmeal, unsweetened applesauce, water; Prep time: 30 minutes
Pumpkin pie is a wonderful dessert to present to your loved ones, but as the slices go around, make sure that your pooch stays away! The filling is actually unsafe for our furry friends. Instead use this pawesome recipe for pup-kin pie that will totally satisfy your dog’s sweet tooth.
(source: dogtreatkitchen.com)
6. Doggy Candy Canes
Ingredients: All purpose flour, powdered milk, baking powder, warm water, chicken bouillon, eggs, food coloring; Prep time: 2.5 hours
Candy is a big no-no for our canine friends, but we can still get into the spirit of the season by putting in some labor of love to produce amazing candy canes made just for your pup. There’s nothing better to your dog than homemade meals prepared by his parent, so get to it! You can find the recipe here.
(source: sippycupmom.com)
7. Christmas Dog Bark
Ingredients: Bacon, cheddar cheese, carob chips, crunchy peanut butter; Prep time: 25 minutes
How can you possibly go wrong with bacon and cheese? This simple combo will make your pup’s heart soar into holiday feast heaven. Check out this perfect alternative to the peppermint bark here, and prepare to wow the paws off your pooch!
(source: en.allexperts.com)
8. Puppy Meatloaf
Ingredients: Ground beef, cottage cheese, dry milk powder, wheat germ, oatmeal bread, cooked oatmeal, cooked brown rice
Meatloaf is a family tradition you won’t want to leave Fido out of. Even if the delicious one you made for your family isn’t fit for your pup’s palate, we’ve wrangled a recipe that’s 100% pup friendly! This beautiful arrangement of meat and carbs will be the ultimate holiday dinner for your pooch. The recipe is pretty straightforward, but it has everything that is safe and delicious for those furry chops. During this season of giving, gift your pup a warm loaf of drool-worthy satisfaction.
For more information regarding this above guest post, visit the DogVacay Blog at:
To find a host located in our region coordinated by DogVacay Blog,
***********************************************************************************************************
Reminder: All pictures, articles, stories, and information above are subject to copyrights. Permission was granted to post this above article as a guest post here on “Container Crazy Cathy ” by DogVacay’s Coordinator.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Cathy Testa
Open Studio Days – Making an Evergreen Creation – by Appointment
Leave a comment
Photos by Cathy Testa
A Reminder.
Open Studio Days are available this week.
By appointment, over the next three days, you can make your own Evergreen Creation and take it home for the holidays.
You pick the time – After work or during the day.
Just Call to Inquire for your individual time slot.
This is a great opportunity and will be your last chance this week to make an Evergreen Creation and
Take it Home
Just in Time for the Holidays.
See this flyer for more details:
OPEN STUDIO DAYS Evergreens
Feel free to contact Cathy Testa at 860-977-9473 for questions
containercathy@gmail.com
New Attendees at the Evergreens Creations Class by Cathy T
Leave a commentMeeting new friends and having them join my Holiday Kissing Balls and Evergreens Creations class is an honor, so I was especially happy when several new attendees signed up for my class this year.
Natasha was one of those new people from last Saturday’s class. As seen in this photo, she and I were having a great time. She is a happy person, with an infectious laugh. I met Natasha at a holiday party last year, and I was the new person in the room that evening. I didn’t know anyone except the hostess.
But Natasha struck up a conversation with me and we continued talking throughout the evening. Her personality was warm and happy and we discussed both of our businesses too.
Sometimes, you just click with an individual for whatever reason. So this year, she decided to attend my class, and I thought it was funny when she asked me how I knew about all these evergreens and their names, saying, “How do you know a white pine is a white pine?” with her Russian accent.
I responded with that I attended horticulture classes, and explained how I also had to study the Latin names of 200+ perennials, by the genus, species, and cultivar – AND the plants did not have flowers on them – in order to pass a final exam. I also commented that I think it wasn’t too difficult to memorize them because I grew up in a home with a second language – French Canadian, so for some reason, I remembered how to spell them correctly, etc.
Natasha is from Russia and she seemed to understand the connection of a second language. I didn’t have too much difficulty memorizing the Latin or botanical names of plants during my studies. She understood my explanation, but then I joked I am terrible at math however, and then she laughed with that infectious giggle.
Organizing and instructing this holiday evergreens class has taught me more about evergreens which I pass onto the class attendees, including a hand-out with instructions on how to best use the greens in their designs and a few tips on the do’s and don’ts for evergreen care and use in the arrangements made by everyone. Every year, I add a new one to the list of evergreen available so we can test out how they work in the designs of the kissing balls, and other items made in class.
Natasha seemed to have a great time with all the other attendees. And now she officially knows what all the evergreens are from this class held annually in December.
She also left me a gift – it was chocolate covered marshmallows. I texted her later that day to say, “That’s it – We are soul mates…I love marshmallows!”
She replied with, “We are a couple of marshmallows”. This made me laugh out loud.
Perhaps you will be a new attendee next year, or if you missed this class and are interested in learning how to make an evergreen items such as a wreath, kissing ball, or candle centerpiece, feel free to contact me with questions.
Cathy Testa
Container Crazy CT 