Just Call Me Martha Griswold
“I did it. Do you think you’ve gone too far?
I did it. Guilty as charged.”
~ Dave Matthews Band
I do it every year. I have such grand plans to do so much more yet every year I fall short of my goal. I’m talking about holiday decorating, of course.
If only I had more time, no business to run, no conference to direct and no kids and animals to take care of. Ha-ha. I don’t really wish for that, but what am I thinking each year as I concoct these plans of horticultural holiday decorating grandeur in my head?
I’m a dreamer. I want to do it all. I really do. I kill myself trying to get it all done.
This time of year, a lot is asked of us. I feel the need to help others in need. I have to pick out the perfect gift for everyone. Even cards need to be relevant. This drives my husband crazy.
“Can’t you just pick out the first card you see?” he says?
“Uh, no…the words need to mean something”, I say.
We go on about this every time there is a card-buying occasion.
Remember, my husband swears he only got one Christmas gift each year. I have yet to have the time to clarify this with his sister. Kelli Rodda, editor of NMPro Magazine wrote me in response to the comment I made about this a few weeks ago and she said her rule is, if three gifts is good enough for the baby Jesus, it’s good enough for my kids. I like that.
Makes sense, doesn’t it?
I’ve received two really cool love letters this past week from readers and surprisingly, many of you were touched by the winter garden spiral at the Waldorf School. I must admit it was magical, but I never expected the outpouring of love I got from describing it.
My favorite love letter comes from Kathleen. She writes:
“I just wanted to tell you how, at the end of a very long, very difficult day, I came across your web site. I read everything there was to read (and even more) and found myself smiling, and smiling. For the first time in hours.
“You are a real wonderful person. Your heart and soul, your passion is clear. Our industry needs to smile, (among other things) and you gave me hope. Another thing that is in short supply these days. And so I thank-you. From my heart. I NEEDED what you gave me today. Sorry if that all sounds weird. I just wanted you to know, you gave me the strength to fight another day. After 40 years sometimes I wonder. But tonight….. thank-you “
Weird? Absolutely not, Kathleen.
This is what writers live for. When I first read this, I thought it had to be a joke. After realizing it wasn’t, I was touched. It made me feel like all of the time and energy I put into writing this e-letter and all of the information about the new introductions is really worth it. If I can touch one person and make one person smile, it’s all worth it.
Right?
As personal as that letter was, I got another response just last night. It was from a fellow plantweenie who has found a new perennial. This time, the author, Liz, wrote (company names are left out for obvious reasons):
“You may be asking, “Why I waited so long to offer it as an introduction?”
“I did talk to (one plant introduction company). Never entered into any agreement (or anything) with them as there was no way to get a plant to them. I talked to a cocky guy from (another company) struck a cord of terr(or) in me (yikes!) – so no plant for them!
“I needed a US company. I have been waiting for the right people to come along. I was delighted to find your website. You talk my language.”
That’s so incredibly awesome and I’m flattered, but isn’t that what building communities all about? It’s that personal connection I’ve been talking about that makes it all so real.
Food for thought…
OK…back to my obsession with Christmas decorating. It takes me a good week (in between working, of course) to unpack and place all of the stuff I have accumulated throughout the years.
There’s the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer paraphernalia, and the traditional German Weihnacht’s pyramid and carved wooden trees, there’s the other trees (I have a thing for trees…), there’s the sparkly stuff for the living room mantle and the crystals (Ella calls them diamonds) and bejeweled fruits that we’ve had since we got married and discovered the after Christmas sale at Restoration Hardware in Chicago.
Note: Our “Gnome” this week is this year’s holiday tri-fecta. Santa and the abominable snowman bauble heads from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer collection and of course, #5, The University of Delaware’s famous alumni quarterback, Joe Flacco, who now throws for the Ravens, all in celebration of my beloved Blue Hens making the semi-finals in their division this weekend. Go Blue Hens!
And then there’s the outside stuff.
The outside stuff is made of all natural materials. I love fresh wreaths and garland. I also love finding new and wondrous fruits from around here to use in my decorating. Remember the huge bag of Osage oranges I brought home a few weeks ago?
I used them all! It was a blast.
My front door wreath is a noble fir base, covered with a circle of Osage oranges I connected using wooden skewers – boy were my hands sticky after that. The other really cool thing I found was a whole bag full of honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) seedpods.
They have a cool shape and when spray-painted red – look out! They make the most fabulous addition to my lime green and red outdoor décor. Here’s the finished wreath with a simple red bow. Let’s hope the fruits hold up to the ridiculously early freeze. Otherwise, I’ll have a mushy wreath and that would be nasty.
The garland around the door is mixed cypress and Douglas fir because I can’t stand working with flimsy white pine. The front porch pots are a mixture of lighted branches and two types of winterberry holly. One is called ‘Sparkleberry’ and the other (the orange one) is ‘Winter Gold’. They also have iridescent snow white gazing balls and a touch of a white feather boa- left over from a trade show booth – for a little added glamor, and lots of various greens.
My husband says, “Can’t you use the fake stuff? It would be cheaper in the long run.”
Yes, yes it would, but come on!
Really? What horticulturist uses fake greens? Does he know who he married? I just can’t do it. I’m sorry. I’m a greens purist, you might say. I do add a little sparkle to everything with some painted amaranth flowers that have been dipped in red fairy dust and many, colorful gazing balls.
Gazing balls are my second obsession, and they are second only to non-scary gnomes.
I love the rainbow gazing balls (I call them bubbles) in the smaller urns by the stairs. They reflect the colors of the winterberry holly branches in the most magical way.
I have one more wreath left to do and I’ll be finished. I’m a bit late this year. I lost out on Thanksgiving weekend because we moved our office then, so I was behind from the get-go.
I wear myself out doing all of this. Why? I guess it fuels my need for being creative. Just think of me as Martha Stewart without any helpers. Ha! I am crazy, aren’t I?
I like to think it’s the crazy, creative people who make the World a fun place to live.
During this terrible time of world and nursery turmoil please know I’m thinking of all of you and hoping something brings you joy this holiday season. Whether it’s helping the homeless or less fortunate, baking and cooking with your family, finding the perfect gift for the ones you love or going mad trying to outdo last year’s holiday decorations (you know who you are!), let there be joy in whatever gets you going and keeps you afloat and happy during these cold, dreary winter months.
Here’s wishing you all peace, joy and Happy Weeding!
Until next time,
Angela Treadwell-Palmer
President, Plants Nouveau
PS Speaking of using all things natural in your holiday decorating, if you can get cut flower echinacea this time of year where you live, here’s some fabulous examples of holiday decorating from this year’s Plantarium in The Netherlands.
They caught my eye because they were using many of our coneflowers. I saw lots of ‘Pink Double Delight’ and I believe ‘Coconut Lime’ was the most used and coveted ingredient of all.
If you live in a warmer climate, you too could incorporate these into your holiday centerpieces. Or, maybe I should push harder to get these into the hands of some of the specialty cut flower growers in the US and Canada. That might be a better idea. Then we could all enjoy them year round, especially Coconut Lime. It sure is a beautiful selection and we promise to have more plants available later this year for the liner growers.
Enjoy these images and think of warmer times as we all experience one of the coldest Decembers I remember in a long while.