Plant a rainbow and enjoy the abundant colors every day
By Thea Steinmetz
Insights
Published April 2, 2008

Cabin fever, who needs you? All you do is make us blue.

It has gotten so bad this winter that we almost want to break out in a jig when we see a few rays of sunshine coming our way. We are constantly reminded that it is spring, but we can see very few indications that we have passed the vernal equinox. As this is written, there is still a five-foot high mound of snow at the end of the driveway. Two days ago I saw a big truck removing snow from one of our local parking lots and carting the high-piled white stuff away to unknown places. This sounds like winter and not an after-Easter necessity.

So, what can we do for cabin fever? For parents and grandparents there is always the Lake Erie Nature Center in Bay Village. Our grandchildren, when they are visiting, love that place. They don’t have to be prompted to go there; they ask to be taken there. It seems that animals speak to children. This has become a half-day tradition whenever they spend a few days with us.

Paging through a children’s book, a rainbow caught my eye. An adventure in color appeals to the innate appreciation children display toward bright paint. It is a colorful symbol of nature, and everyone smiles when spotting one. To see a rainbow suspended above the rushing waters at Niagara Falls is always a thrill. So, let’s plant a rainbow and enjoy all the color spectrum has to offer.

Half the fun will come from planning for it. Get out the crayons or colored pencils and start painting a rainbow. Right now, while we complain about snowy or rainy and dreary days, this is the best time to get into this project.

Not everyone has the luxury of a large space to do a full rainbow, so let us scale it down. To start planning, find pictures of colorful flowers in books that you might have around, or go to the library. The library is the greatest resource and it is free. Also, magazines offer a plethora of colorful possibilities. Write down what appeals to the children. They will need your guidance. Being mindful helps, considering what will be available in our garden centers when we finally get the weather we deserve for spring.

Since it is not practical to do a 50-foot wide spectacular rainbow, let’s consider the options. We will get to the flower choices later. A staggered rainbow might be a good choice. This means planting flowerpots with all the colors, one to a pot. Decide with the children where to place these plants for the summer. They should be in a location that is seen daily so the upkeep will come naturally.

A terrace, a deck or even the front steps will benefit from a burst of color. So, let’s look at the colors and the possibilities for the annuals that will fit into this design. While at first thought it might seem complicated, it is not. Consider all the annuals that are available and you will quickly see that there are several possibilities for accomplishing this undertaking

First, look at the colors we need. There is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and indigo. A child knows these colors, but indigo might be a bit of a problem. A simple explanation of a mixture of blue and violet can be understood. Besides, this is not exact science, so let us keep it simple. Plain white instead will add to the overall appearance nicely and enhance the other colors.

Red is easy to interpret and the choices, ranging from begonias to geraniums, may be used. The yellow is easily found with marigolds. For the orange, calendula will do nicely. The Bells of Ireland produce wonderful green flowers, but these are not conducive to pot culture and so they should not be considered. With the color blue we have several choices. Although the forget-me-not is a lovely plant, it lacks longevity. It is sweet early in the year but will not give the all-summer-long punch that we are looking for. Blue, as well as violet petunias, are a good choice. To give us the seven colors represented in the rainbow, daisies are always nice, but a fibrous white begonia will bring pleasure all season long.

Look around and make your own choices. Let the children help you in this process and they will take ownership of the potted plants. Watering and fertilizing them on a regular basis encourages the spirit of nurturing. Place the pots in a sunny place to keep them flourishing. Also, teach them to take off the spent blossoms to encourage new growth. This is an important part of plant keeping.

A perpetual rainbow in the garden with the child’s name on it is surely a worthwhile attempt to further the interest in establishing a growing habit. We are the stewards of the earth, and encouraging the next generation to beautify our own little corner is, as Martha would say,  “a good thing.”