Hanging Baskets Made Easy
Once the risk of frosts is over, May is the perfect time to brighten up those dull spots in your garden with hanging baskets. Just follow our basket recipe, water well and often and watch your mini garden grow!
How to make hanging baskets:
• Try to use at least a 14” basket otherwise they dry out very quickly
• Use good basket compost or add water retaining gel and a slow release fertiliser to multipurpose compost.
• Placing a plastic plant saucer in the bottom will create a mini-reservoir.
• Moss can be tricky but does give a professional finish. Lining the moss with plastic helps water retention but remember to make a few holes for drainage!
• If you want an easy life, prepared hanging basket liners are easy to use.
• Put the hanging basket on top of a bucket so that you can turn it as you work.
• You may need to water twice a day in very hot weather.
• It is worth using a dilute feed in the water once a week.
• Deadhead or pinch off faded or dying blossoms regularly
Recipe for our hanging basket
Ingredients:
One 14” wire basket
One 14” hanging basket liner or moss (make sure it’s been soaked) and some plastic to line it (bin liner will do.)
5” Plastic saucer
Either special basket compost or compost mixed with water retaining gel and slow release feed
Flowers for Hanging Baskets:
Geranium, upright and trailing fuschias, trailing lobelia, busy lizzies, begonias, bacopa, surfinias, petunias, helichrysum, verbena, brachycombe are all good plants for a hanging basket.
Method:
Take handfuls of moss and push against the basket frame. Cut your bin liner to line the inside (don’t forget to make some drainage holes). Put the plastic saucer in the bottom. To get a full looking ball it is important not only to plant the top but also to plant the sides. Work your way up the basket, mossing, putting in compost then placing plants evenly around the sides (save five or six small plants for the top.)
When you are 5” from the top of the hanging basket place your upright geranium in position and place your final five plants around the edges. Top up with compost ensuring that you have left a couple of inches space at the top. Don't plant right to the rim or water will flood off the surface.
Finally water well, and hang in a light place. Winter hanging baskets are also ideal to protect plants until all danger of frost has passed.
Enjoy!
