A transcript of this podcast episode is below for the hearing impaired.

Nancy Sanchez  00:00

Hello everyone tuning into the Wildcat Chronicle podcast. Today’s episode is brought to you through Nancy Sanchez –

Emily Ziajor  00:06

And Emily Ziajor, and today we’ll be talking about something we’re both very passionate about: plants.

Nancy Sanchez  00:43

So on today’s episode, we have a special guest, Mrs. Stieglitz, who teaches… Do you want to go ahead and…

Corrie Stieglitz  00:50

Horticulture and biology. Super interesting.

Nancy Sanchez  00:56

It is! Today’s episode we will be more so focusing on horticulture, just a little background information like, why did you go into horticulture, like what inspired you to go into it?

Corrie Stieglitz  01:11

So way back in the day, when I was taking classes for biology, you had to take additional classes in science. And so I just picked botany, the science of plants. And then I was like, this is super interesting. So I ended up getting enough hours to be certified. And then when I got hired here, the second year after I taught, the teacher who was managing the greenhouses retired, and they looked around and they’re like, who can teach this? And in my file, I had certification for it. And I was like, looks like me. So I didn’t really plan on it. I just fell into it. But then I’ve also fallen in love with it as well. So, I always had an interest. So that was how many years? 22 years ago of the 24. Sure.

Emily Ziajor  02:14

What’s the whole like goal? Like what do you guys do?

Corrie Stieglitz  02:16

So, basically, for as the since the class is new, now, the horticulture class, it was always designed for people, students who had an interest but there wasn’t a class for them. Now there’s kind of a crossover, there are students in the club and the class. So my goal is just to be here. Here’s how you work in the greenhouse. Here’s how you manage things. Like for example, we just lost half of our crops due to freezing temperatures in the greenhouse, what do we do now? You know, like things happen, how are we going to bounce back? So, also sales and profits. So we have plant sales both with the school and then in downtown West Chicago, dealing with people. A lot of my students are kind of shy. How do you learn the names of the plant and project that to the people of the public West Chicago so I always like seeing that. Stuff that you talk about in class but you actually get to go and do: trips to Ball Seed, we look at their gardens, we plant seeds transplant, so anything, anything plant related on top of social skills as well.

Emily Ziajor  03:35

And are there any specific plants that you guys plant like in the seasons,

Corrie Stieglitz  03:39

Mostly, what I get are my plant materials for free from Ball Seed. So I’m actually picking some more stuff up today since our crop loss. And yeah, so that is a plus we don’t have much luck from seed just with the temperature and the regulation of me being up here and then down versus down there. They’re just not as – they need more care than I can give and the students – kind of this room space situation – so I always get plugs which are like already grown like two inches, they’re established so that way we know we’re gonna get somewhere from there and usually they give me annuals and some perennials and then some herbs and vegetables. So we get a variety of free stuff. It’s whatever they want to throw away though. So I’m at the mercy if I want to wait and be like, ‘Oh, I’ll take this, take me, you know this will be this week.’ I usually just take whatever.

Nancy Sanchez  04:50

Is there anything going on in horticulture currently, like what is there? What should we be looking out for?

Corrie Stieglitz  04:55

Ah, well, I think more now you should be looking out for as the plant ladies that you are, as soon as the frost melts, one of the goals I have for the class, and as well as the club they can help too, is like trying to beautify the school. So like I was saying, as we are in the, in the Hort 2 class working in the greenhouse more during our actual class period, we can do more with watering and like bringing planters out and stuff or by the atrium for during lunch hours and stuff like that. Right now, I know, it’s just not the time we’re in. We’re working behind the scenes right now and like, but you wouldn’t really know anything. Same with the club, too. They’ll be working with the stuff that I pick up today. And we’re cleaning and just kind of more preparing so that once that frost melts, and the sun comes out, look for that decor. And then our sale will be probably, Mother’s Day, May, when it’s kind of safe to plant outside.

Nancy Sanchez  06:05

I’m excited for that.

Corrie Stieglitz  06:07

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Nancy Sanchez  06:08

I always go –

Corrie Stieglitz  06:10

And everybody always says we have got the greatest stock because they’ve got good stuff over there. So whatever anyone comes and buys or like, my just shut up and like, just so healthy looking. I’m like, man.

Nancy Sanchez  06:25

I go home with like, five. Like things.

Corrie Stieglitz  06:29

Yeah!

Nancy Sanchez  06:29

It’s so bad.

Emily Ziajor  06:30

You have to get there early.

Corrie Stieglitz  06:31

You gotta get there early.

Emily Ziajor  06:32

Or else the selection gets, like, very…

Nancy Sanchez  06:35

Real. I left my tenth hour early.

Corrie Stieglitz  06:40

Really?

Nancy Sanchez  06:41

I did!

Corrie Stieglitz  06:41

Okay.

Nancy Sanchez  06:42

And I was like, I have important business to do. And she was like, Okay, what’s this important business? I was like, very super top secret important business. And she was like, ‘Okay, actually, because you’re a good kid. I’m gonna let you go.’

Corrie Stieglitz  06:58

Wow.

Nancy Sanchez  06:58

I build up my credit. I build up my credit for this.

Emily Ziajor  07:02

I never knew that, Nance.

Nancy Sanchez  07:04

Sprinting, I was sprinting down the stairs, and then boom, the bell rings. And I’m like, I’m already here. And I’m just waiting. I was like…

Corrie Stieglitz  07:10

Oh, yeah. And then we have to – one year we have walkie talkies, and people down there, ‘I need more!’ and then they would take carts. Because hauling it down to Commons…

Nancy Sanchez  07:21

It’s a lot.

Corrie Stieglitz  07:22

But then I was like Entrance B, but then…Are freshmen really gonna want… You know, so I was like, ‘Where do I set up camp to get the most bang for our buck?’ So I just stick the Commons.

Nancy Sanchez  07:43

Thank you for tuning into today’s episode of The Crazy Plant Ladies. May you have a lovely day, and may blossom in your own little ways.