[clkeiper]

Cole, I would encourage you to keep looking for a high tunnel structure to grow in( all of ours are recycled from craigs list) .. not your little greenhouse with ventilation issues once it get hot out. that would make a world of difference for your success... whether it is cut flowers or vegetable plants.

do you have a commercial flower seed vendor? if not I would say to find one... not the catalogs every one is able to order out of but a commercial supplier who has the ability to help you when you are running into issues... such as the wanting to learn how to place plants in a basket for containers... mine sends me booklets from syngenta and other flower companies to give me ideas of which plants to put together for a successful container...which specific varieties of which series of plants go together for the whole season... not just as immature plants..

My rule is just like the fertilizer rule... "up, down' all around"... a spiky plant (can be herbs, a dracena spike, a foliage plant such as fountain grass etc... but check places like lowes at the end of your annuals growing season for clearance dracenas if you have some place to winter them over... you can't buy them cheaper wholesale. I picked up 40 of them a month ago for .50 each), a filler plant with focal and a filler plant with small flowers and a trailing plant such as potato vine, wire vine, ivy, thyme,organo...etc, and different textures for visual interest to fill a pot. I also collect unique pots at thrift stores, along the curb for basic pots sometimes, at the recycling dumpster...e tc, that is a CHEAP way to make a few bucks on a planter. I picked up a great clay pot at goodwill last week. someone had tried to paint the leaves on it green and it was hideous, but I thought maybe I could wire brush it off... but I happened to hav a can of graffiti remover in my shed, so... I sprayed it with that and used a scrub brush to soften it and make ita clear greenish border instead of the flaking ugly harsh grass green leaves... it was awesome. I bought the pot for 2 bucks filled it with some basil oregano & parsley ... i sold it for 15.00 in 4 days. I was going to toss the plants as no one has bought an herb in a month... 4 plants that were basically going to the trash, some new potting mix and a 2.00 pot... 13.00 return on my effort. the girl who stopped asked me to tell her about the planter ... I asked what she wanted to know... I told her it was 15.00...." oh I thought it would be 50.00". she handed me a 20.00 bill and told me to keep the change. so, I really made 18.00 not 13... sweet. stuff like this helps every sale you make. and a repeat customer who I told her to bring it back next Spring and I would refill it for her with the same plants if she took a picture of the planter and showed me what was in there that she wanted again. satisfied customers are you best source of advertisement... the kind of advertising you can't pay for.

anyway, I ordered my sunflowers yesterday. I will see what I can manage to do with them...I have a bag of soil moist somewhere, I wonder if that would be a wise addition to the potting mix for these or at this time of the year its not such an issue.....
I also ordered a packet of the vincent series to try... maybe I can call the florist in town who called me last week for lemon basil for a wedding bouquet... woop woop! I was able to help her, since I still had oodles of herbs left, to see if she would be interested in them if it is a success.