HOME & gARDEN
Gardeners who are lucky enough to have a heated greenhouse or conservatory are able to start preparing their
hanging baskets in early spring for a glorious summer display. Plants used for this purpose include annuals, both
hardy and half hardy, begonias, fuchsias and pelargoniums.
However, these plants need protection from the cold and cannot be placed outside until all danger of frost has
passed. you can still plant up hanging baskets now for outdoors, but make sure that you use hardy plants that will
withstand the cold temperatures. Plants such as ivy, winter pansies, primroses and miniature evergreens will survive
well and give good colour.
ITEMS NEEDED
• Hanging basket, at least 14” for a
good display
• Hanging basket liner or moss
• Good quality compost
• Slow release fertiliser granules
• Water retaining gel
• Lots of plants
• A small empty plastic drinks bottle
or watering spikes
• An old newspaper
• Circular piece of polythene to fit
the basket
3. FILL WITH PLANTS
56
1. HAVE EVERyTHINg READy
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding the amount of slow
release fertiliser granules and water retaining gel and mix thoroughly with
the compost. Water all the basket plants and leave for a while to drain.
Remove one of the basket chains to give you plenty of room to work. Cut
off the bottom of a plastic drinks bottle to serve as a funnel.
puZZlE ANswERs
HOw TO MAKE A
HANgINg BAsKET
2. PREPARE THE BASkET
Rest the basket on a bucket or something that will hold it steady and insert
the liner. There are many types of liner and lining materials but don’t be
tempted to collect sphagnum moss from the wild as it cannot be replaced
easily. Hanging baskets can easily dry out under the summer sun so to help
preserve moisture place a circle of polythene on the liner making sure
that the edge doesn’t show above the basket rim. A section of an empty
compost bag works well.
Place a thin layer of compost-mix in the bottom
of the basket, about 1-2” deep, then with a
sharp knife cut about 3 x 1½” slits around the
basket through the polythene and liner. Choose
the plants that will be the bottom layer of your
display. Remove them from their pots; lay each
on a strip of newspaper then roll up to form a
tube. This protects the plants from damage
as you push them through the holes you have
made. Carefully press them through from the
inside, until the root ball rests on the liner then
take off the newspaper. Add more compostmix until you reach two-thirds up the basket and
make 5 x 1½” slits as before, to take your next
layer of plants. The final layer of compost should
end about 1” below the rim of the basket to
give you enough room for planting the top layer
of plants.
4. CARINg FOR yOuR BASkET
After firming down the top layer of plants, push the plastic drinks
bottle into the compost so that the neck is covered and the
body of the bottle points straight up. Position it at the back of the
basket so it will be hidden by the foliage.
Water your basket thoroughly and allow draining before
hanging it in a nice sunny position. Summer baskets are usually
filled with flowers that like the sun but spring baskets can
sometimes take light shade depending on the varieties used.
Baskets will need to be watered every day in the summer and
even twice a day in very hot weather. Filling the open ended
bottle will make watering easier.
As the flowers grow, pinch out any dead or dying blooms to give
you repeat flowering; never let seeds develop. At the height of
the summer season you may wish to top up the feed, but check
the instructions on the slow release fertiliser you used initially as
some will provide enough nutrients to last all the way through.
57