The Captain With ...			...The Green Thumbs
			by Debi Osborne

Mike Fry looks more like a sailor than a gardener, with the Captain's cap, the cigarette jutting out the side of his mouth, the weathered tan and the friendly eyes that have seen more weather than sleep. Known around Houston as an incredible gardner, Mike uses his vast knowledge of horticulture and floriculture to create landscapes that are pleasing to the senses.

Mike Fry inspects a garden that he designed and planted at A&W

Working with plants is in his blood . It is what he enjoys and what he does best. One only has to look at the flower beds on both sides of Highway 16 in Houston, from the shopping centre to the Landmark restaurant to see that. Mike was hired initially to design and cut the beds in Steelhead Park, he now has the contract to maintain and manage it. The Park has since become one of the busiest tourist spots in our area. Motorists bearing foreign license plates will virtually slam on their brakes to veer in for a walk through the park.

One of 15 flower beds in Steelhead Park

"Small in size but large in beauty," was one of the more recent comments in the Guest Book Mike keeps for people to sign. "Peaceful, calming" the congratulatory words go on. You don't even need a gardener's eye to understand that Mike has gone beyond planting a few flowers here and some shrub things over there. He has orchestrated a masterpiece that must come together and bloom when he needs it to, then literally fold on command as the seasons change.