👀 DC's Phantom Planter, A Tale of Beauty and Friendship

It all began with an unusual email a few years ago, referring to a postcard I had created featuring sunflowers growing on the escalators of the Dupont Circle Metro. The sunflowers would bloom vibrantly between the concrete cracks, adding a splash of color to the entrance. The email read, "I am the person who planted those sunflowers and am delighted you saw them and made the postcard."

Little did I know, this email would lead to a friendship with one of DC's most talented artists and kindest souls.

The Washington Post dubbed him "The Phantom Planter," a gardener who took it upon himself to create fleeting scenes of beauty throughout the capital. Henri once shared, "Riding up the Dupont Circle escalator in 2012, I saw a long slope of neglected garden spaces, filled with weeds and litter [...] I saw a barren place that might, with some work, give people a badly needed smile." One of those smiles was mine, as I unwittingly captured his artwork.

Over the years, Henri has become a sort of gardening mentor - even once bringing me sacks of horse manure that worked wonders! And much of my approach to gardening has been inspired by his carefree attitude toward embracing the unplanned.

Henri continues to plant flowers near Metro stations and in and along roads throughout the city. A third of his focus is on less well-known locations in Wards 7 & 8. He travels in a car adorned with colorful magnetic flowers that perfectly encapsulate his philosophy: "Let our flowers grow."

As we transition into the colder months, with gray skies and subdued colors, Henri's rebellious and imaginative approach to brightening our city serves as a source of inspiration. It's easier to endure the winter knowing that we've planted seeds of beauty that will bloom when spring and summer return.

Are you, too, planting beauty for next year?