At the height of my own pumpkin artistry, I splattered the dining room table with gourd guts, plastered seeds in my hair, and stepped back to admire what could have been a crooked smiley face…if you tilted your head a few degrees. And squinted. It also sort of looked like a bear, I guess. And while being 11 years old was an acceptable excuse at the time, I’m not ashamed to admit I haven’t gotten any better. Of course, coaxing out hidden Halloween talents would have been heaps easier with a champion pumpkin sculptor in my corner. Someone like Mr. Villafane.

For those with young gourd gougers in their midst, October’s Priceless® Budding Masters event offers just the kind of tutelage needed to make a masterpiece of an average pumpkin. Ray Villafane is considered by many (especially me and anyone who’s heard me say this) to be the Michelangelo of the pumpkin carving scene, or the Bernini of “Boo!” if you want to be a goof about it. During last year’s Haunted Pumpkin Garden, our staffers were practically picking jaws up off the floor as visitors stopped to watch Ray in action, conjuring skeletons, zombies, and monstrous spiders from nothing more than a few record-breaking vegetables. This year, he’s back to one-up himself several times over, but not before sharing his unparalleled techniques with a class of young carvers in the making.
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Ed. Note: Our delectable cooking adventures, botanical art primers, and flower arranging courses make the NYBG‘s Adult Education program one of the most robust horticultural experiences in the nation. True to form, we will soon offer courses for the amateur perfumer, introductions to what can only be called “plant alchemy.”

Read on for an interview with Julianne Zaleta, who brings her perfumer’s knowledge to the table in Natural Perfume Blending and Aromatherapy 101. Each is an upcoming part of this summer’s Botanical Spa course series, bringing the sensuous and luxuriant side of gardening home.

How did you start and how long have you been making your own scents?

I’ve been making my own scents for about ten years, but my love affair with plants started a very long time ago, in my mother’s garden when I was a child. When I look back I can see that my whole life has been about taking the next logical step to understanding and appreciating the plants around me. I’ve been a gardener, floral designer, herbalist and aromatherapist and I feel it’s all led me to this.
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