Create a Springtime
Hanging Basket
With the arrival of
Spring, the garden centers are filled with colorful plants and
planters. The “ready-made” ones are nice, but a large
hanging baskets with a good variety of plants can easily cost
$75 or more. This year, try making your own. You’ll need
a wire basket, some sheets of sphagnum moss and soilless planting
mix (to reduce the weight and improve drainage). A variety of
flowering plants can be used in both shady and sunny locations.
The list below is just for starters, use your imagination and
you’ll be ready for spring. Before starting, water your plants
thoroughly and loosen the root ball gently. Select small plants
and pick off any flowers so growth can be established. Add some
water-retaining crystals to the potting mix so the basket doesn’t
dry out. Step 1: Wet the sheets of moss and layer the bottom third
in overlapping sections. Place an old saucer on top of the moss
to retain some water for the plants roots. Cover the saucer with
soil mix and pack down. Step 2: Work from the outside and poke
the roots of the first layer of plants through the moss. Rest
the roots on the soil mix. Trailing varieties of plants look nice
at the bottom layer. Step 3: Lay more sections of moss till the
basket is 2/3 full. Add more planting mix, pack down and pull
through the roots of some more plants. Space them evenly and rest
the roots on soil mix. Step 4: Layer moss to the top of the basket
and fill to within an inch of the rim with potting mix. Plant
some trailing or bushy plants near the edges so they spill over
the sides. Hang from a strong hook, water and fertilize frequently
and enjoy!
|
SUN LOVING PLANTS |
SHADE PLANTS |
|
Geranium |
Impatiens |
|
Petunia |
Fuschia |
|
Dracaena |
Dracaena |
|
Ivy Leaf Geranium |
Vinca |
|
Dusty Miller |
Lobelia |
|
Marigold |
Begonia |
|
Dwarf Dahlia |
Coleus |
|
Lobelia |
Caladium |
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