The "Pedal Pusher"

       I am working on making a small vintage container  vegetable garden.  So yesterday I headed to town for a whole list of errands.  One of course was for flowers for the window boxes.  Looking for blue trailing lobelia turned out to be a problem.  It is always crazy to me what ends up being hard to find and takes you all over town.  I headed to one store and was mumbling to myself (I do that a lot I am afraid ...old age I guess) and this nice lady said, "have you been to the "Pedal Pusher" place?  She proceeded to tell me that even if I found the flowers somewhere else just go anyways.  The lady uses old stuff to plant in like cans and stuff."

       So off I went the Billings Heights location. I loved the name already!  It was located in the Montana Rescue Mission parking lot.  This little set up greenhouse had wonderful plants, many unusual.  Kinds you don't see very often like a yellow plant named "Lola" with soft pedals of color.  The neatest things were the planted arrangements.  One was in a green rectangular  patent leather purse!  Yes,  a 70's purse with a small flaw on the side.  The flowers just popped out of the top like a spring garden.  They had a dresser with the drawers pulled out at various levels, each planted with various flowers and herbs.  Old nostalgic cans that I suspect were from the replica era when copying the old ones was a complement were full of plants.  A strange looking cart with only wheels, a platform and pipe for a handle that they put a large wicker basket arrangement in. These cute pieces were tucked among the 6 packs and flats of flowers.  I got some good ideas and enjoyed the visit.  I spoke to the  owner, I believe,  and she said they scour the sales all year and put them away for their planting later.  She said when they pull things out to plant they have such great surprises seeing what each has tossed in storage.  What a great way to recycle and use the vintage you can't sell for some reason!