The Green Thumb Rises

It was the summer of 1992, I had just returned from living abroad in Paris, France, and went to Indiana, where my parents had moved while I was away. I went straight from Oui, Oui to Howdee overnight. Good-bye sweet Paris, hello white bread Midwest. I knew no one and I needed a job, fast. The first interview I had was with a local place that had a greenhouse and market. They wanted cute and spunky girls who didn't question authority to flirt with customers and get them to buy planters, flowers and peaches.

Within a few days, I realized the misery that I had entered as the owner's daughter who ran the show, slowly made each employee so miserable that they quit immediately. Within two weeks, I was the last woman standing. I could not afford to quit, so I grit my teeth and waited out the summer working for that smelly pirate hooker.

I made it through, got tan from being in the sun all day, got biceps from lifting 50lb. boxes of tomatoes, and lost 10lbs eating nothing but peaches and corn on the cob. But this post isn't about the greenhouse sweat shop, it's about how I learned how to plant a container. It is that one positive tool that I managed to take away from that summer. Well that and learning the difference between an annual and a perennial, but not before telling a week's worth of customer's to put their impatients in the full sun. Oh sure, they love the sun!

Last summer, I was proud of my planters, but this summer, I'm more pleased with my color combinations. I call this one Prelude in red and white.

You start with a lovely green spike in the middle of the planter. You then surround the spike with a taller flower and layer moving out. Here I chose red geraniums. What you won't see until later in the summer is that they are surround by white petunias, followed by white Alyssum which will grow up and over the sides of the planter giving it dimension. Stay tuned for the shape this will take.



This next one is a Melody of Pinks. Again I started with the spike in the middle, surrounded by pink shades of snap dragons, followed by pink petunias. To create a drapery over the side, I used a vinca plant that works beautifully adding foliage.


Finally, I call this my Ode to Yellow and Orange. Normally I would not waste my money on marigolds, but this year, the dark orange marigolds were so vibrant that I had to put them together with the flowers in the middle. I just filled a small pot with these. It will be even prettier when it grows out.

I also planted 2 hanging baskets for our patio. This is a great money saver as most baskets begin at $15 and go upwards of $30. If you get your flowers on sale for $1.99 a 4 pack then you save money instantly. I use 3-4 packs to fill a basket. I used multi-colored impatiens for our first shady area and filled the 2nd with hot pink petunias for the sunnier area. More photos to come.