Hanging Basket Guide

If you have any covered outside areas around your home then you may be considering the best way to breathe some life into them. Hanging baskets can be a great way to do this. As hanging baskets are reasonably easy to maintain and offer huge bursts of colour in summer (if you so wish) they can be a great way of livening up an exterior of a house.

Hanging Basket Choice

The first thing you must choose is the type of basket you want. A wire mesh basket with a slotted liner is a good way of getting more flowers into the basket – the filter can be cut so plants can be planted to hang down out of the bottom of the basket. This is a great way to pot trailing plants. Plastic buckets can be used but they give you less options in terms of trailing plants.

Of all the trailing plants you will have to find something which suits your tastes but Fuchsias, Impatiens (busy lizzies), and Alyssum are all popular and colourful.

You will also have to choose a focal plant – something like a miniature rose or a Pelagonium (geranium) is usually a good bet. It is also possible to fit two or three smaller “filler,” plants such as Dwarf Impatien (smaller busy Lizzies funnily enough!), Marigold and petunia’s all do this job well.

How to Pot a Hanging Basket

Mix up water-retaining gel and a bucket of potting compost. This is to help retain water and it lets you really fill the basket. If you place a saucer at the base of the basket this should help retain some water too – it will certainly help stop water travelling straight through the basket onto the floor.

Filling the bottom third of the basket with the compost mixture will allow you to thread and trailing plants through the sides of the wire mesh, resting the roots on the compost. Fill up the basket to a second third and then plant you focal plant and any other “filler,” plants you may have chosen.

Fill the final third of the basket to the top, packing down around the stems of the plants. Next water thoroughly and hang it up in the desired place.

If you’re planning several more you could get a production line started (it is a great way to get the kids involved with gardening in a simple, fun and messy way). However you decide to make your hanging baskets you should now be well prepared!