Lettuce Centerpiece

TIME: About 30 minutes

COST: About $45

MATERIALS

• Large terra-cotta bowl, at least 16 inches in diameter, with drain holes
• Small bag of potting soil
• Lettuces (about five sixpacks)--choose several varieties, such as butter lettuce, romaine, 'Red Oak Leaf', and Swiss chard
• Trowel

PLANTING AND CARE

1. Fill the container halfway with potting soil.
2. Push plants from their sixpacks, then plant them about 2 inches apart. For best effects, group them by kind, with the tallest plants (such as romaine) in the back. Fill in around them with more potting soil.
3. Set the lettuce centerpiece in filtered shade and water it well.
4. Continue to water regularly; fertilize once a week with dilute fish emulsion.

The day of the barbecue, thoroughly mist the leaves with water to clean them before placing the container on the patio table.