Hanging Baskets

Hanging baskets are excellent for improving the appearance of a blank brick wall or ugly fence. When planting a hanging basket there are a few things you should remember.

1. Select the size of basket you want to use. I prefer to to use nothing less than 14" as I find anything smaller dries out to quickly, but it is all down to personal choice.

2. Choose the type of liner that best suits your needs, a commercially produced liner or moss (both are readily available from your local garden centre).

3. Place the basket on an upturned large pot or bucket so that you can use both hands, and you can see how it is progressing all around the basket.

4. Add your growing medium upto about half way,if your growing medium doesn't already have moisture-retaining granules included nows the time to add some, mix it well into the growing medium and water well.

5. You can start putting your side plants in now, to do this correctly make a small hole in the liner or moss and push the plant well in root first, making sure the roots are well into the compost.

6. Now add some more of your growing medium upto approx. 1" from the top, and then put some compost upto the edge only,leaving a hollow in the centre to allow for watering. Fill in the rest of your basket with the plant you have selected.

7. If possible hang your basket in a greenhouse to settle and slowly harden the plants off during the day and bringing them back inside at night until the last frosts have passed.

8. When your basket reaches the end of the season take it in, empty the compost onto your garden and you can reuse the moss next year.

If you don`t have anywhere to store your basket over the winter then plant some winter flowering pansies around the sides of the basket and put some suet, wild bird seed, or peanuts in the centre to feed our feathered friends during the cold winter months, (they will really appreciate it) and return to your garden next summer.


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