The desire for a green thumb

I'm learning to be a gardener. I would like to have a green thumb. I would like to keep plants alive. I am completely serious when I tell you that up until this year I've killed every plant in my possession. Call it lack of water, laziness, black thumb, whatever. I just can't keep plants alive.

This year, I've decided to jump out of my comfort zone. I planted a few herbs, two packs of Aster seeds, a tomato plant, two hanging baskets and two planters. Perhaps I should have started smaller.

The herbs (rosemary, parsley, basil) are doing fantastic and I've used them frequently. The tomato plant is growing so tall and I'm going to plant it in the ground when spring comes back. The Aster seeds have sprouted and are taking their time growing. My hanging backers are alive, but I should not have left them outside overnight because they did not like that. I'm trying to revive them as I type.

Now, onto the planters. I got two "buckets" from Lowe's and drilled a few holes in the bottom for drainage. I put tons of dirt in these things. I went to Agway and must have looked dumb because some guy came over and helped me pick out a few flowers for these buckets. Success so far! I planted them and they are currently alive, but it's cold outside and they are too heavy for me to bring in, so they are staying put.

I really want to grow things! I want to enjoy the beauty of these creations and admire God's handiwork. Maybe gardening is a skill that needs to be cultivated and tested before you can grow anything. Maybe it's genetic (in that case, I'm a misfit because my mom is great at growing things! she always has gorgeous flowers!). Maybe it's not my gift. Either way, I'm okay with the learning process.

Here are some pictures of my attempt at growing things:

The hanging basket. #1
Hanging basket #2
Big planter with some leafy plant in the middle and four geraniums and a few other trailing flowers...
Small planter with the yellow and red flowers and two gorgeous red trailing flowers...