Splashes of colour all around. (Hanging Baskets)

Name: sit2020

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Product:	Hanging Baskets
Date:	03/10/01 (904 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: see text

Disadvantages: can be a lot of work

Hanging Baskets, you either love them or hate them. I think that with care and time they can really look great. Over the last few years of my hanging baskets I have developed a few hints that might help people in choosing and maintaining them.

Reasons for hanging baskets…

They can break up bland walls and fences with a splash of colour.
They are out of reach of small children (how many plants have I had the flowers heads removed by children over the years).
With scented plants they can really add a wonderful heady aroma (being higher the scent seems to be stronger, not that they are closer to my nose you understand).
Once the plants become established, the baskets are not prone to attacks by weeds.

Care for plants…

Choose a good variation of colours, go to your local nursery/garden centre and ask what plants are available (always a good move as new and more interesting plants tend to appear each season).

Do not cram a hanging basket with young plants, they need space to grow and develop, you will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly happy well-fed and watered plants will grow.

When planting, work out the tallest plants you will be using, these need to be in the centre of the basket with smaller plants towards the outside with overhanging plants on the outside.

In hot weather they need plenty to drink, this may mean watering during the day (do not worry about watering the plants while the sun is shining on them, I think it is an old wives tale that the leaves on plants will burn if you water whilst its sunny, a thirsty plant is a thirsty plant and needs a drink).

Holidays, try and get a neighbour to come and water your plants, there is nothing worse than returning home after a holiday to find a load of hanging baskets full of deceased plants.

Feeding plants is also a good idea, I try to use the normal fertilisers. I have heard mixed reports about “Miracle
Grow”, some say the plants grow very quickly bushier etc, others say the plants tend to out grow themselves and die or wilt very quickly. As I have not used this product, I cannot comment on it.

Remember that at the end of the season the compost needs to be discarded ready for fresh compost next season. This is also an ideal time to repaint any brackets that are looking worse for wear. I prefer to paint them at this time, as I will not end up covering the plants and baskets with paint splashes. Bring the empty baskets indoors, scrub them clean and store inside (this avoids any chance of frost damage).

Other thoughts and ideas…

If you have really fallen in love with hanging baskets and live in a sheltered location you can try winter flowering pansies to add a bit of colour during the winter months.

Along a garden fence instead of hanging baskets you can put up boxes these are screwed directly to the fence, care and maintenance are the same as for hanging baskets. I do like to use these as they can compliment hanging baskets, I think it is worth mixing and matching as that way it is possible to create a stunning visual effect.

Overall hanging baskets and boxes can be a lot of work, but if done right then the end results justify the time and effort spent.

Summary: