Learning is a process that never ends, even for teachers. Katherine Pessecow is proof of that.

She teaches at South Buffalo Charter School. During quarantine, she used her extra time to study Ikebana, the ancient Japanese art of floral arrangements. Now she has her own business.

“I started Living Floral Designs on accident. I started making them because I wanted a piece of framed art for my own house," she said. "Soon after I started making them as gifts, people started asking me for them. I’ve been selling now for about a year-and-a-half, but it wasn’t until quarantine that I really started researching the ancient Japanese art of Ikebana.”

Pessecow says that her creations are Ikebana-inspired, because the art takes a lifetime to master. She adds that unlike traditional Ikebana, which uses plant stems and flowers that could be found in a vase, her designs are alive.

“These are air plants. They are very easy to keep alive, because all you do is spray them with water,” added Pessecow.

Her designs are inspired by Western New York.

“I really like creating my own pieces of mount from around Buffalo like driftwood that I got at Hamburg Beach,” explained Pessecow. “I’m keeping everyone in a mindset where we’re learning and growing and so for me, this quarantine time has really been a period where I can study what other floral artists have done."

Just this week, Elmwood’s 'Put a Plant On It' started selling Pessecow’s designs.   

To find Pessecow’s creations, visit this link. If you’re interested in placing a custom order, email LivingFloralDesigns@gmail.com.