MonkeyPants

Mercy Gardening.

Something had to be done about the Ouisi Bistro’s hanging baskets.

When we all trekked out of Kitsilano last week to go see Mike and Mike play Jazz over there, I could not believe the state of the baskets. They looked like someone walked around the garden store with their eyes closed for a while, and then planted whatever they banged into.

“Nigel, who planted these baskets?” I asked.
“I did.” He was all smooth Restaurant Manager Guy. “I think they look okay.”
“They do look okay, but I’m curious about the plants. How did you choose them?”
“Oh, I just chose whatever I liked,” he waved a hand, then looked closely at me. “Did I do all right?”
I couldn’t contain myself. “You put Cosmos in them! The tall ones? They’re going to fall over and poke someone’s eyes out.” Tactfully I didn’t mention that each planter only had about four plants in it, and none of them matched: Hot-pink fuschias, smug Marigolds, something kind of scarlet, and a couple of random purple fuzzy things.
He grinned ruefully. “One of the tall kind already got blown over. I put it out back.”
“Listen, I can fix them for you. I’ll just come up with some plants.”
He looked surprised and pleased. “Sure! That would be good.”

So today Sandii and Sharrole and I trekked to the garden store and then to the Ouisi. Under the beating sun, while crowds drifted past, Sandii and I put in Lobelia, Petunias, Swan River Daisies and Dusty Miller. We replanted the Cosmos out back, and took out some of the random bedding plants Nigel had added.

The planters look great and we got free beer in the sunshine. Result!