I discovered a way to make a cute wreath with citrus peels. I saw a lady do this on a social media feed and thought how cute the wreaths looked, mostly for fall and Thanksgiving season, however. Also, it is kind of neat because using citrus peels is like recycling something that would have ended up in the trash or compost.
Another bonus is my husband really enjoys eating citrus fruits. And this time of year, pomegranates are in the grocery stores, so I used those as well. The darker red peel color worked really well against the colors of the oranges, clementines, even grapefruit. You could use limes or lemons as well.
It is super easy, and I happen to have crimped single wreath rings in my stock of craft supplies, but this could easily be done with a clothing wire hanger cut and formed into a circle. I had my husband cut my crimped wire frame so I could push the peels onto my wreath frame, and I got underway.
Anytime he or I had an orange or other citrus fruits as a snack, I asked him to save the peels. Then I tore them into pieces. It doesn’t matter the shape or size of the torn pieces. Can be random.
Above you can see the pomegranate peels, and I believe next to it is the grapefruit peels. It sure did smell good when I pushed the grapefruit peels onto the wire.
I did like grouping them, so all the peels were facing the same direction as it added more color.
In this photo above, I did some back-to-back and didn’t really like it – I preferred all the same direction to add more color so all the peel-colored sides face the same direction as they were stacked on.
This was when I finished. I just needed to add a bow. I think this is a great wreath to make for Thanksgiving. And they probably would be adorable in an even smaller wreath size. I think this was a 10″ wreath frame size. There are so many decorative options with this – could do some embellishments if you liked for fun.
My husband made this loop at one end and then made a little hook on the other to reattach the frame ends together when done putting all the peels onto it.
There are the pomegranate seeds and a clementine also used. They were yummy together – and pretty colors. It just takes a while to collect all the peels. I would just keep them in a bowl and then try to attach them to the frame rather quickly before they were too dry.
I forgot to take a pic of the bow part and now it is stored away since we are onto Christmas decorations. But this was an easy, affordable, and creative little craft project. I recommend wearing gloves because the wire started to blacken my hands while working on it – due to probably the acid of the citrus – I don’t know.
It dries naturally and smells nice while it does so. I suppose you could add essential oils on it later to add more fragrance to it.
Cathy Testa
Date of post: 12/6/2025
And PS – sorry I didn’t post this sooner. Making this in early November is best timing. Good one to remember for next year.
Just sharing an old photo – taken the last year we held my annual holiday workshop here – before COVID. I love this photo; despite I had a cold that day and was so disappointed I couldn’t enjoy it as much as usual. I stayed away from my guests while they all crafted their holiday creations where they made beautiful wreaths and kissing balls with fresh holiday greens, so they wouldn’t catch it from me. My wine glass held juice that day, but my heart was happy to enjoy a wonderful holiday tradition we had created.
Fast forward to today; this morning, I thought about how my husband, and I created a “tradition.” Yes, the workshop was a big tradition for everyone for many years, and many have said, they miss it, but some decided to hold mini gatherings with their friends and continue the spirit. That makes me happy, that despite I do not hold this big holiday event anymore, others continued to do their own mini version of the day of creating with friends to make wreaths, centerpieces, and holiday kissing balls – to kickoff the holiday season and spirits.
Anyhow, I don’t have much to say today. First snowfall of 2024 is here – light and will melt quickly. Christmas is not too far away, and I’ve done pretty much zero shopping because I was hit with a head cold that lasted over a week! I missed some fun holiday events too, boo! Hopefully I can start enjoying some holiday fun this weekend. Looking forward to that.
In the meantime, stay safe and festive. Enjoy your traditions while they last!
Yew (Taxus) is a needled evergreen shrub or tree used in landscapes. It is not really sought after these days, but when my parents were young, it seemed everyone used yew shrubs as foundation plants or as hedge plantings for property boundaries. They have a slow to medium growth rate and don’t experience many insect problems. They keep their dark green needle color year-round and can take moist sandy soils, but the soil must be well-drained. Locations suited for them are shade or sun. So as a shrub in the landscape, they are versatile. However, they were not often used in wreath making. Until I started to do so when I thought about how well they retained their green needles. From a distance, they almost look like balsam fir needles, and they mix well with other types of greens when making holiday wreaths.
Fleshy red arils over the hard small seeds
My Dad has a stand of yew trees on his property behind his house. They’ve been there so long; they are about 20 or so feet high. If I were to guess, they are probably 60 years old, but I am not sure! Some of the branches are thick enough to require a handsaw or chain saw to cut down. For the most part, I obtained my various holiday fresh greens for wreath making from a supplier, but I also noticed my dad’s yew trees were huge and offered a nice filler type greenery for wreath making. One year, I asked him, “Hey Dad, may I take some cuttings from your old yew trees for my wreath making workshops?”
He was sure to respond yes, and Mom didn’t mind either. My Dad has a thing for cutting down trees, although we did not cut the yew trees down, we just cut big limbs or branches every year for my wreath traditions. He’d meet me there as I drove my truck down his farm dirt road which runs behind his house and park it near the yews. The trees may have been shrubs at one time, but now they were full grown trees and very healthy. The towered up high and were full of green needles.
Opening the trunk bed of my pick-up truck, I’d always be sure to watch my footing because usually the road near these yew trees is either muddy, mucky or frozen, depending on the weather. He loved cutting down branches for me and I would point to this or that one as a good candidate because it would be a full branch of dark green needles. I was always excited to get these green harvest goodies from his big three yew trees on his farm. It excited me because I felt yew would make an excellent filler in wreaths and kissing balls. These greens served as a back-up green for me too. It also felt like a Christmasy tradition doing this process every late November or early December.
We kind of kept our tradition of the harvesting from his yew trees a secret. LOL. Mom knew of course, and so did my brother who lives there, but pretty much it was our little secret of harvesting yew for my wreaths. The needles of these evergreen trees and shrubs are a little glossy, short, there is no sticky sap to deal with, and I could gather quite a lot for my uses. As he would start his chainsaw, I would have my pruners or loopers ready to clip off anything undesirable. I’d load up the good full branches into my truck bed after he’d toss them on the ground. He had his job and I had mine. The truck bed would be completely full most times until I was satisfied I had enough. I always feared running out of greens at my wreath making workshops for the holidays, so this was also serving as a wonderful back up of dark fresh greens. Sometimes I’d even piled some branches into the back seat of my truck in addition to the truck bed.
Yews didn’t seem to be a popular green for holidays however, and I don’t think suppliers even offered them as a greens option or variety for wreath making. In the old days, my parent’s days, yews were planted in the landscapes quite a lot. I think for my generation, yews seemed to be out of favor and a bit old fashioned, but these evergreen trees or shrubs don’t really have many problems. No big insect issues, no smell, but they do have toxic properties from what I read in my reference books and online. You may think the berries (actually seeds covered with red fleshy material) are toxic, but I believe it is the seeds within the fleshy red fruit that are a problem, that’s if you or an animal eats them. (Other interesting tid-bits I read about yews is a chemical from them was used to treat ovarian cancer and that Robin Hood used the branches to make bows and arrows – Interesting!) But perhaps the toxic principles are why they were not harvested as a green to use in wreaths.
I think years ago, they may have been used a lot in landscapes around commercial buildings, as hedges, or whatever because other than some pruning, they were maintenance free. If you look at some older type buildings, you may spot old yew shrubs, likely at huge overgrown sizes, somewhere near them, or maybe in a parking lot areas on the middle islands, etc. But today, I just don’t see them very often at homeowner’s properties, and if they are there, it was planted many years ago.
As for the stand of yew shrubs my dad has, they grew so tall, they were more like trees and those trees gave me a nice gift every season. The gift of the greens but also the gift of being with my dad, just the two of us, chatting between cuttings and the sound of his chainsaw. We didn’t stay out there long because it was typically cold out. Once I felt satisfied I had enough, we’d put the tools away. He’d quietly walk away back to the house down his backyard dirt road, and I’d drive off to my house to prep them for the wreath making and workshops. When I got back home, it was just plain fun for me to put these in bins. It made me happy. I am not sure how to explain that – the whole process felt good – because it became a holiday tradition of sorts. We all love holiday traditions.
As it turned out, this harvesting and cutting ritual actually helped his old yew trees to produce more foliage each year. I was fearing that someday we would take too many cuttings of it, and it would eventually look bare, but that wasn’t the case. Yew shrubs and trees can be pruned severely and frequently. Some people shear the yew shrubs into shapes, things like that. You will notice in the photos above, some of the cone shapes by the needles are a golden color, while other times, the pink, red fleshy material was around the seeds (on the female cones).
As far as wreath making goes, yews offered what I called a filler. Sometimes you need a lot of greens to create a full wreath (and you need even more to create a holiday kissing ball) and having this needled type of dark green evergreen filler from my dad’s trees, rather than purchasing more of another filler greens such as balsam and boxwood, helped reduce some expenses for me. It also served as a backup green. I always feared I’d run out at the workshops, and this was a good stock of filler. They hold onto their needles very well and last a very long time. As I’ve noted in prior posts, what makes a beautiful wreath is a mix of greens because you get various textures of green colors and yew also has a lighter underside color to the needles. Can you see the yew in the photos above? The yew helped to fill it in as with all the other greens we had on hand to use.
It is possible people don’t like to use them in their landscapes because they are toxic. My handy reference book indicates the foliage, bark, or seeds, are toxic to people and to all classes of livestock. The fleshy red berries (known as arils) are not poisonous, but the seeds inside which are very small are from what I know. This was interesting to read because my dad’s yew trees are on his farm! He had cows for years, but they were not in the backyard area where these trees stand by the road which leads further back to where the cows roamed the property by the river and in the fields. I wonder now if my dad knew this toxic issue about his yew trees and will have to tell him when I see him this week. He did not have any yew shrubs in the fields where the cows were, so that’s a good thing. I also read they are “not” toxic to deer – go figure! We all know deer like to roam evergreens and have at them in some landscapes.
Undersides shown above on Yew stems next to Lemon Leaf (on far left)
I also liked using some of the taller yew branches to insert into large planters with the other mix of greens when creating holiday decor. The branches with reddish to brown bark are firm and strong, so it was useful for that aspect, serving as a center tall thriller. These yew greens experienced no problems if they get wet or frozen. I realized that yew was just overlooked but very useful. Yew has a nice dark green color with a bit lighter green on the underside of the needles and they had a nice fine texture too. They were not difficult to work with.
There are tons of cultivars of yew shrubs and trees. They have or had many purposes from foundation plantings to topiaries, even bonsai. They do not have serious diseases or insect issues from what I know. And lastly, these greens held up very nicely before and even after use. I would put them in a huge bin with the stem or limb cut ends facing down in the bins and fill the bottom part of the bins with water to keep them hydrated, and again, as noted in my prior post, I put them in the cold garage. The needles “never fell off” even after the workshops were long over and weeks went by. When I had some left over, there wasn’t a needle on the cement floor of the garage. Even if the water in my big bin froze, it did not negatively impact the stock I had collected. Later, I would put the left-over branches in the woods for the deer to have should they find them.
One year, I dressed up in my holiday gear wearing a red Santa hat and red festive jacket and recorded a video of me showing all of the green types I had for the upcoming workshops, and I talked about yews. I noted that not many people use yew greens in their wreaths, but I do. Later, I saw a nursery person showing off yew too. I thought, “Did she see my video and then gather some up too?” Perhaps! Why not so long as you know about the toxicity part.
One thing is for certain, I will miss this annual harvesting tradition with my dad. I’m not doing my wreath workshops anymore and not making greenery wreaths for the first time in 15 years. While we worked to gather up these greens, we’d have quick chats after the chainsaw stopped and I always cherished these quick chats, but it was also cold out usually and we’d feel it. Then we’d decide we were done chatting in the cold. It is something I just felt was a nice experience just for us. I didn’t even take a picture of us out there – which I think I should have. If you should decide to use some yew, please let me know your thoughts.
In my opinion, there are some greens which are better than others, but what really makes a wreath absolutely beautiful is using a “mix” of fresh greenery in the holiday wreaths.
When I first started working with fresh greens, I had no clue how to prep them, what they required to store well prior to creating wreaths, and which would be best to use.
Fresh greens will dry out thus getting them too early is not a good idea, so the timing is key. Like almost anything in the horticulture world, your items are perishable. I always waited until right after the Thanksgiving holiday to pick up my green’s orders to start making custom wreaths.
In order to reduce the loss of needles or drying out the greens, they must be stored in cold temperatures in boxes or some in plastic. Some of the boxes should be lined with plastic, while others are stored in boxes coated with wax inside. In general, all greens of all types gathered for holiday wreath making should not be exposed to winds, harsh sun, or even cold cement floors, which can draw out moisture. Some kinds may be laid out on tables, but key is storing them in cold and dark inside locations until ready for use.
Some greens, if a bit dry, may be rehydrated by cutting stems and setting them in vases or buckets of water, or even dunked in buckets of water, but some should not be treated that way. Others I would sometimes rinse with water from my hose outside in wagons, or let the snow fall on them in my driveway as they sat in wagons for a bit of moisture exposure, but then other types of greens should not get wet. If stored wet, they can turn yellow or rot. It depends on the type of greenery.
Learning how to handle the greens and which looked best and worked well in wreath making was something I learned by researching, experiencing, and testing various greens from balsam fir to berried juniper. I always took notes each year on how well the greens held up and would notice which performed better than others.
In this post, I want to share some tips with you on how to best prepare and use various greens in your wreaths. I will go over 15 different types in a series of posts. As I mentioned, I loved using a wide mix of greens to have full, fully, and textured creations. The contrasts of greens and various textures made the wreaths absolutely beautiful.
Let’s begin!
Holly
Evergreen holly is no doubt one of the type of greens people love in their holiday decorations. Their attached bright red berries stand out and they are the essence of Christmas memories. However, one downfall of holly is that it will turn black if wet and hit by frost or freeze. And handling them repeatedly when making wreaths can be painful due to the spiny edges of their leaves. However, holly is easy to insert into wreaths, sturdy, and provides a nice deep green with the red berries to the wreath with the mix of other tones of green colors, but holly is not super full or fully. That is fine, but just something to note about using holly. If it doesn’t get wet and frozen, it will last a very long time in a wreath until it kind of dries out. When they do dry out, however, they still retain the leaves on their sturdy stems for a long while.
Holly bushes, (Genus Ilex), are simple evergreen plants with dark green leaves and there are many cultivars available in our part of Connecticut to plant into your landscape. Many people have evergreen holly shrubs or trees readily available to prune from for their Christmas decorating from their own yards or landscape beds. But take note, these shrubs can suffer in the landscape from winter dry out from winds or water-loss when the ground is frozen, but otherwise, they are relatively easy to grow, taking part-shade or sun locations. And they can get rather large over the years too.
Every year, two of my friends offered to come take cuttings of their holly shrubs for my wreath making but I also ordered holly from a supplier too. I have a neighbor who generously offered her big, huge holly shrub to take from. It was gigantic. I’d quietly walk over with my wagon and pruners to take cuttings. It was always a type of annual pre-holiday ritual.
Her yard has lovely plants in her various gardens, and it was nice to take long holly stems with red berries and load them into my wagon. I was sure to do this only about 3-4 days before my wreath making workshops to have the best freshness. Sometimes, I would see a praying mantis case attached to a branch and leave that one be. Her holly shrub got rather large over the years where the top was not reachable without a ladder, so I never was able to get that high to cut them. I always methodically thought about taking cuttings to improve the outer shape and form of the plant. It was generous of her to offer cuttings.
My brother also offered to stop by his holly bushes one year to take cuttings for my workshops. He has a rather large expansive open back yard. The sun was shining on me that day when I went as it was a beautiful blue sky cold day. His holly shrubs are on a little slope. I sat on the ground taking cuttings. No one was home and it was a quiet, brisk, and sunny with a slightly cool air about. I remember thinking how wonderful his property was. Serene, quiet and peaceful. After I was done getting cuttings from his hollies, I laid on the ground next to the shrubs on the slope and faced the sun and sky above and felt the sun’s warmth on my face. There was something magical about my harvesting adventures.
Pruning evergreen hollies in the fall or winter however is really not the best time to do so. It should be pruned in the early summer for your typical landscape maintenance routines. Pruning them in winter exposes the stem’s ends to cool temperatures but only taking a limited amount in the winter didn’t detrimentally impact the shrubs. In fact, if my own hollies in my yard get out of shape, I wait to take top cuttings before the holiday wreath making process for my wreaths, or to gather to put in vases as holiday decoration.
If you decide to plant some evergreen hollies in your landscape, be aware that “some” types of holly plants require a male and female plant to set the beautiful red berries. If you decide to plant one for the first time, inquire about this at your local nursery. Female hollies produce the red berries and I believe you probably need only one male holly shrub to achieve success. Another consideration is pets, as some say the red berries are toxic to pets. I never had this issue here cause my adorable cat does not touch my plants but be aware holly berries can fall off and even leave a red mark on your hardwood floors if they get squished when you happen to step on one.
As I noted, the only downfall to holly is the leaves can turn totally black if wet and hit by frost. So, when you store them in a box with plastic, be sure you are not storing them wet. Freshly cut, when possible is best too, so you reduce the time is no longer attached to a shrub or tree and starts to lose some moisture. And storing them in plastic enclosed in a box is best done when the holly is cold. Loosely store them in the plastic too. They do not have to be tightly packed, but always in a cold room. An unheated garage is perfect.
In my workshops, I referred to holly as a specialty green to use in our wreath making – one to use as an accent in your creations. One year, I obtained a variegated type of holly with green and white leaf margins from a supplier, it was amazing, and I just loved it. It was so beautiful. It provided a more professional look to the wreaths, and it also felt and looked luxurious, at least I thought so. However, it was fairly pricy and not always readily available from the supplier, so if you decide to plant a shrub, consider the variegated types as well.
One last thought, I have read that holly is ethylene sensitive. If exposed to ethylene, the leaves and fruit will fall off. I never had to worry about that much. Ethylene is produced from some types of ripening fruit so businesses storing fruit or ripening produce with plants must be aware of this sensitivity. If you are running a business and holding holly with other plants or fruits, there are products out there to treat plants for this. I remember a grower talking about this when we went on a field trip during my college days. We walked into a huge freezer or maybe it was a fridge and he talked about the concern of ethylene. People in the floral industry are also those who are probably ethylene experts but for homeowner harvesting plants for wreath making it is most likely not an issue to worry about.
Overall, I did not have issues with harvesting, prepping it, or keeping any type of evergreen holly cuttings and stems fresh for my holiday making workshops. It was a bit pricier though and since we used it only as an accent, I started to remove it from my list of the 15-20 types of greens I would obtain. Often times, workshop attendees brought a little of supply of their own holly cuttings to use. Fortunately, as mentioned above, it is an easy type of evergreen shrub to obtain from our local nurseries. Sometimes I wish I had the forethought to plant all the types of plants used in wreaths in a big field and we could have a harvest party for the holidays! I have quite the imagination.
Stay tuned for the next post on the next greenery on the holiday list!
Thank you for visiting.
Cathy Testa Located in the Broad Brook section of East Windsor, CT
Yesterday was our first fluffy snow fall, which I have to admit, made me happy. I can picture the soft white snow on the items I made for many holiday orders this year at people’s homes, such as Kissing Balls hanging outdoors, Patio Pots filled with holiday greenery, Garlands, Wreaths, and more. The snow is also a great way to add some moisture to the greens on the wreaths and such.
The past two weeks were extremely busy. As a one woman owned business, with a very helpful special Elf Helper, my hubby, we did it – installed and created holiday scenes for everyone. Today, I hope to make a nice big Boxwood Wreath. I show all my photos on my Instagram page under Container Crazy CT handle.
I want to take this morning to say THANK YOU to all the people who hired me to work on their holiday scenes and patio pots, and also to all who ordered a Wreath, Kissing Ball, or Garland this year. It puts me (and hopefully them) into the holiday spirit. I finally got to do some of my own outdoor decorating yesterday a little bit before the snow started to fall. But it is a real treat and a special thing for me to create Holiday Items for people – THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and pick-ups.
I also have to admit, I do stay inside a lot when people pick up their orders cause I’m so busy and can’t talk too long, plus I really really didn’t want to catch any colds or COVID during my work of holiday crunch time. But I find the “Pick-ups” are extremely useful and helpful to people when they are also doing their own rush holiday errands and they may pop by to get their handmade wreath with fresh greenery and other items quickly (Grab and Go!).
Next on the list is making some unique holiday pick-up gifts which are great for last minute shoppers, me included! I haven’t shopped at all yet for Christmas gifts on my own to-do lists. I never have the time in early December.
Hope you are enjoying this snow fall – it sure looks pretty from my office window – I can say that!
Sincerely,
Cathy Testa Container Garden Designer located in Broad Brook, CT 860-977-9473 containercathy@gmail.com
Alas, we are two weeks till Christmas! I’ve been so happy to create for everyone and I can’t thank you enough for your small business support of my Cathy T Custom Work of my holiday kissing balls, wreaths, garlands, variety of holiday greens in boxes, swags, and holiday installations of planters and sites.
My hands have been a little sore and my back a little achy but I love what I do so much, I continue to move forward. Each detail is important to me and now, with the last two weeks of planning underway before Christmas Day, please keep me in mind if you are looking for any last minute Grab-n-Go Gifts. Some are made with plants and some without. I usually post as I create so you see how they are made and what is being made minute by minute.
Also, if you have any last minute greenery decorating needs, I have some beautiful cedar available in bunches while they last. Almost all my greens are used, which makes me happy! This means planning worked out and no-waste of the beautiful fresh greens! Limited supply on the greens now as of this writing (12/13/21). Thank you again for ordering from me this season. Now its Plant Gift time…
In regards to the HolidayPlant Gifts, please give me a day ahead to make it and then swing by to Grab-n-Go on your daily last minute shopping adventures. Just text me your questions or interests. 860-977-9473.
Details are also shown on http://www.WorkshopsCT.com. Some items available: Terrariums or Terrarium Kits (great gift idea!), Holiday Moss Trees with Succulents, Hanging Small Globes with Holiday Themes, and other perfect hostess holiday themed gifts. See my Facebook Pages or Instagram under Container Crazy CT for the latest daily holiday creations.
Thank you,
Cathy Testa Container Crazy CT Broad Brook/East Windsor, CT 860-977-9473 Today’s Date: 12/13/21 See also www.ContainerGardensCT.com for Holiday Installs See also www.WorkshopsCT.com for Custom Creations
2021-12-25T06:49:00
days
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Days Till Xmas
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Rating: 5 out of 5.
Customer Comment: Thank you again, it is just the perfect size and even more beautiful in person. I can really see your creative talent in your work. I especially like the two hanging zip ties added for height option. Also, the extra ornaments and matching ribbon. Nice little added details that you think of. It smells soooo good too! – Wreath Purchaser, L. Mickey, 2021
Champagne Colored OrnamentsTop Made to Match Homeowners Theme with Elves fun colors, and Bottom Wreath was Created to be Natural with Burlap Bow
I hear the wind blowing outside as I type this – Yup, I’m an early bird. Lots to do, wreaths to make, and holiday gift orders to create.
If you are local and interested, please feel free to reach out regarding my custom hand-made wreaths with a fresh mix of greenery, bow and some décor, or bow-less, which some people prefer.
2021 Wreaths Made to Order for Porch Pick-ups, Broad Brook, CT
I started humming Christmas tunes the other day as I was gathering up my beautiful fresh greenery materials to make a wreath. Usually, I start watching or listening to an old classic holiday movie while I make the wreaths, because watching is not really possible as I’m looking down as I work to create a wreath, adding decor and items after I assemble the wreath itself. But hearing the holiday themes of a good movie provide me that uplifting feeling of the holidays coming up and decking our halls with greenery!
Hubby Holding Wreath
I have to admit, I do think about the crowd of attendees at my former Holiday Wreath and Kissing Balls Workshops from time to time. There was always a “spirit of good holiday vibes” with me when I would setup my workshop space for the annual workshop tradition, but alas, those have ceased (when COVID hit and also because I think Cathy T KB Clause got a bit worn out.) Setting up the space was very time consuming. It was almost like throwing a mini wedding, but I’m so happy to create custom wreaths and other items since I ceased the workshops! My offerings are outlined on www.WORKSHOPSCT.com for more information.
Large KB’s
The next best thing is making custom orders for everyone. I’m still here working at it, so if you need a wreath and are local, contact me – while supplies last. Ho-Ho-Ho, let’s Go-Go-Go!!!
Thank you – Cathy T.
Cathy Testa Container Crazy CT Broad Brook, Connecticut 860-977-9473 For More Info about Holiday Products at www.WORKSHOPSCT.com
I shared this photo yesterday, on a whim, on my personal Facebook page and received lots of comments. Most people wrote things like, “You look so happy!” or “This is a great photo.”
I have to say, I am THE most happy at the moment right then, right before I would be completely ready for my holiday workshops to begin for my annual wreaths and kissing balls attendees.
Cathy Testa right before attendees were to arrive!
This photo, taken two years ago, was on a sparkling, yet brisk cold, December morning. I got up early before all the wonderful attendees arrive, working diligently with my helpful and happy husband to get all the beautiful fresh mixed greens on tables. All this work always took place right before the workshop was to start on the day off.
Boxwood in a Galvanized Bin
From fresh Balsam Firs, so traditional for the Christmas scents we are familiar with, to elegant florals such as Berried Eucalyptus. All would be carefully placed on rustic tables and shelves. Some bundles were placed in red plastic bins or galvanized rustic buckets in wheel barrels. Whatever we had on hand to make all the taking easy for everyone.
Fresh Juniper in a Wheel Barrel
It would be so pretty when we were done setting all the greens up. I would be freezing cold at times with the tips of my fingers being numb even while wearing gloves, and feel like my eyes were tired (why the big sunglasses over my eye glasses in that photo), yet, I always took the time for photos to capture these moments just before guests would begin to arrive. Every minute, from our first sip of coffee that day till the start time of my holiday workshop was consumed with work for both me and my husband.
Decor everywhere
There have been many years where I was completely exhausted from all the organizing type stresses. Will my greens by okay? Will there be enough greens? Will I be able to handle a group of 35-40 very excited women ready to make wreaths?! Will the weather cooperate? Will it be windy? Usually all my anticipation would start to fill my mind, of course, as I laid my head on the pillow the evenings before the big workshop days.
The days or even weeks before the event, I would start to decorate here and there, adding holiday touches in my home, on my property, and in the staging area for the greens. I always wanted to make everything perfect, or as best as possible. It needed to be a cozy, organized, and a welcoming event.
Cathy T’s Holiday Red Hat on the KB Sign
We would stage all the fresh holiday greens, many varieties, in a beautiful wood shed, which my husband built for his wood. For many years, he sacrificed the space on one side for us, for this workshop event, for the ladies. What a man, Mr. KB Claus. He never once complained about that. This year, of course, it is all filled with his stacked wood. And he just happily stacked his wood this year without ever a mention of how he gave up the space all those years prior for my workshops.
Decorations all around
It almost looked like a manger on my holiday workshop days, as one attendee stated one year. It wouldn’t be long before I learned, I need elf helpers because the large group took a lot of coordinated effort, and fortunately for me, I am blessed with three close friends who offered to help me and my hubby.
My elf helpers – They even agreed to wear the festive aprons I got them last year!
But this year is different, very different. My holiday offerings are different, our upcoming family and friend gatherings are different, and our holiday anticipation, in many ways, will be different. All due to COVID entering our worlds. Who would EVER imagine COVID would be here still in the month of November. Into, what eight months, since this all started in March? My goodness!
So this year, as I’ve noted, I am taking custom orders for wreaths and kissing balls, as well as offering fresh greens by the box. All the details are outlined on my site, http://www.WorkshopsCT.com. I have my holiday face mask ready to greet anyone coming by for orders, and my helpful and festive hubby already built a stand for safe zero contact porch-pick-ups. Well, it will be driveway pick-ups this year. The stand he built is from wood limbs of trees around our property, which make it rustic looking. I can’t wait to hang my custom wreaths and kissing balls on it for orders. I think it will look pretty. And this starts next week, immediately after Thanksgiving Day.
Steve, Mr. KB Claus, Holding a Wreath made by Cathy T last year for a customer
So who am I? Well, I guess this holiday season, I am still Mrs. KB Claus but in a different format. Not sure what my title will be but I do know, I thoroughly enjoy working with the beautiful fresh holiday greens creating and it will certainly help ease our COVID situations. Creating with greens is an amazing escape from any concerns we may have as we stay safe at home. And I’m sure my husband will tolerate all my antics along the way!
Cathy Testa 860-977-9473 containercathy@gmail.com
Token Males, I used to call them as a joke, hanging out with Steve by the firepit outdoors while us festive women created our holiday items!
Is it 8 days till Christmas? Or…8 days till Christmas Eve?
Guess that depends on how you count the days!
For me, I was on a 15 day of a cold – coughing and feeling quite run down. I remember one day, when having a moment to pause, I felt suddenly exhausted. But, I got through it all: The KB Celebration this month, the KB Workshops, and the Holiday Custom Orders, the client installs, but we still have 8 days, and I’m sure many of you are running around finalizing your holiday plans from gift shopping to food shopping.
Gift Certificates or Hostess Gifts
I still have those 8 days for any last minute requests – Need a Gift Certificate to next year’s workshops? I have them in stock. Just reach out. Need a small plant related holiday gift – ask. I have some cute items I make by order, and I don’t even post any photos of them – they are too unique. Great as hostess gifts or for table decor.
What is KB? You may ask…
KB, as most of you know, is my short-cut name for Kissing Balls. I held all workshops of where everyone makes their KBs, along with wreaths and candle centerpieces, except one session, because I just was too sick AND lost my voice. I didn’t want to spread my germs to the private group either – and I will make it up to them next year somehow. Thankfully, they were very understanding. But the workshops held were super fun and festive. I posted lots of photos on my Facebook and Instagram Pages. Everyone’s creations were well-done.
Attendee to our KB Celebration
2020 Planning
Next year – OMG, I took out my first 2020 calendar and started to jot dates down based on last year’s happenings. The season will most likely start with my “Seed Starting Sessions” and Seed Starting Presentations. That can start up as early as February for me. I will start preparing the game plans, outlines, seed calendars, and handouts in February, probably around the same time of doing taxes (ack!) but then the classes (or sessions) on seed starting will most likely be around March 14, March 21st, and even March 28th – but these dates are all tentative. Will keep you updated in early 2020.
I need to review other activity first – but I think those dates above are my targets. In April, there is a part two to my Seed Starting Sessions – called, Seed Monitoring. I think I will follow the same format at last year. I really enjoyed the whole Seed Starting (for tomatoes and peppers primarily) offerings. It was one of my most rewarding workshops. Why? Because it was continuous. I got to see how everyone’s starter plants did over the summer, see their harvest, and it was really a good feeling to see how happy everyone was. Who doesn’t love their own homegrown fresh tomato, right?
May’s Topic
Then, in May, should I do the Succulent Hanging Baskets again? Should I offer a new topic? I may poll my attendees or maybe I will come up with something new. I’ve been focused on succulents the past few years. Maybe it is time to return to perennials, tropical plants, or even houseplants? TBD on all of that. But, if I did offer a workshop on container gardening or patio pots, it would most likely fall around May 9th and May 16th in 2020. I do have some new ideas brewing. Stay tuned.
Summer Months
The summer months are usually quiet in regards to workshops, but my container installs keep me busy during the height of the watering and flowering season, no worries there, but I usually don’t offer any big workshops mid-summer. People are usually on vacation! Even so, the time moves so quickly every summer. In fact, I keep so busy watering my own container gardens at home that I promise myself EVERY year to not plant as many containers and patio pots at my own home, but what do I do? I always plant tons cause the plant passion grabs me. But grabbing that hose was hard on my arms last year. I got tennis elbow in not one, but both arms. I think it was from the hose dragging all summer long. Of course, I usually have various types of plants for sale during this time as well.
Autumn
Fall arrives very quickly after summer, and we move in the Succulent Topped Pumpkins workshops, which I always feel is a keeper. Will I offer it again? I think so. If yes, I’m looking at the dates of Oct 3rd and Oct 10th. All TBD at the moment. Just scanning the 2020 calendar today for the first time. But if you want to pencil them in….
Holiday Workshops
OK, so the big question is – will the Holiday Workshops continue in 2020? I think so on those too. I am toying with the idea of more dates and smaller groups – but I don’t know – it is so popular and I feel like everyone relies on me now to kick off the holiday season with this fabulous and festive workshop. I will have to just wait till I get closer to decide. My tentative dates noted are December 5th and December 12th for now.
End of Year
As I reflect on 2019, I am so thankful for the workshops attendees of 2019 and of past years, and thankful for new clients who found me this year. For the garden talks and presentations at garden clubs and local farmers markets too – great groups this year. I’m also thankful for the inspiration, creativity, and fun we had through it all. It was a very busy year, and I think I said that last year, but this year was busier. In fact, they say it takes 5 years for a business to take off – I disagree – for me it was 10 years of practice, trial, and persistence. My 10th year has been the busiest.
I hope the 2020 year will bring lots of the same fun and maybe a little more controlled hectic schedule. When I finally decide on the exact 2020 workshop dates, I will be sure to post it to keep you updated.
My next workshop is coming up on Saturday, December 7th, 2019 and all seats have been taken. We got our first decent snow fall yesterday and last night. In fact, my husband is out there right now plowing our driveway before heading to work.
The snow is a plus for our holiday greenery creations made in my workshops. The cold temperatures and a bit of moisture from the snow or mist falling on the kissing balls and/or wreaths prolong the life of the creations! That is the good news. But snow is somewhat of a PIA when it comes to moving in and out of the house or going back and forth to work or for holiday shopping, etc. However, the sun should (hopefully) shine during the next couple days, and it is always gorgeous out when there is full sun after a white snowy storm.
Last Saturday was quite the day. Everyone was super festive, in the spirit, and made the most gorgeous creations with fresh greens. The only down fall was I felt under the weather – darn colds, why do they exist? But this class was filled with mostly regulars and long-time attendees – so they know what to do. I am filled with warmth knowing and hearing about how attendees stepped up to help attendees who needed help. Also, my 3 Elf Helpers did so much to help and assist, I can’t thank them enough. Thanks to all.
This workshop has grown quite large and I’m getting older – it is not so easy to organize all and the timing for many aspects has to happen right before or after. People stepped up to help me when the caterer was late, the teacher (me) was a bit under the weather, and the clean-up needed to be done. Team work – so nice. Good thing I have thorough handouts to help too!
I don’t like to have anything not done well, so the patience was appreciated. The other good news, is hopefully, I’m getting better now. I did loose my voice but it sounds better this morning, and my sister, who is a singer, gave me all the tips on how to not stress the vocal cords more – like don’t whisper! So last night, I was actually “texting” my husband to save my voice to discuss upcoming items on the to-do list.
I’m making custom wreath and kissing ball orders for people this week too. That was actually very soothing for me yesterday because I didn’t focus on my little cold and took my time making some wreaths. I love the way they came out. And I always put on a holiday movie that is a bit corny but there is always a message, and good ones, so that is nice to have in the background while creating. It takes me two hours to make a wreath from start to finish with decor – and movies are usually two hours – perfect!
Now, up next, is the next Holiday Workshop on Saturday, Dec 7, and then another one on Sunday, Dec 8. Reminders to the attendees will be sent out mid-week. I’m so glad now that I did not plan a mid-week class. I needed the much needed rest! Mrs. KB Cathy Claus has been busy.
Photos will be posted later. I’m soooo excited I hired a pro photographer for last Saturday, and I sooooo can’t wait to see the photos. It will be a great way to see what I missed during the day.
Container Crazy CT 