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Friday 3 May 2024

How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket


Here are some step by step photos of us making up a basket
 
There are different ways of potting up baskets and we don't always follow the same pattern but here is one Peter made up.
 You will need:

1. A 14" wire basket
2. Sphagnum Moss
3. 11-12 trailing plants.In the sides we used 3 nepeta and 3 torenia  In the top we used 2 verbena, bacopa, 2 petunia and a fuchsia, 3 upright plants and here we used a geranium, a heliotrope and a nemesia and 3 upright small petunia
4.A piece of plastic to make a water retaining circle.
5. Slow release feed and water retaining gel.
6. Rich potting compost or Hanging Basket and Container compost

 This is a 14 inch wire basket. We stand it on a pot if it has a round bottom so it doesn't wobble!


Select your plants. We chose 6 trailing plants (we often use 7 for this size) for the rim to trail. 5 for the half way mark to trail, 3 for the main center (a geranium, a heliotrope and a nemesia ) and 3 white petunias to also fill gaps in the top.




Line the base with sphagnum moss. Garden moss is too fine and will fall out.


 About 1" thick. Leave it in clumps don't shred it  as it will form a mat better.


Cut a large round circle from a bag of compost to act a a water reservoir in the base.


Place black face down in the basket, so if the birds peck away some moss you do not see it.


Half fill with good quality compost. This is the secret to a healthy basket as we are planting very fast growing hungry plants. If you are using general potting rather than hanging basket compost you can add slow release feed and water retaining gel if you would like.





Never use more than the recommended amount of gel as it will swell and push the plants out of the basket.


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket

This is nepeta and it trails beautifully.


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket

Place the plant through the gaps in the wire basket half way up.



Place the roots in the compost.



Repeat the process until you have your choice of 5 training plants around the base.




Line the side of the basket with moss to the top.




How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket
Add soil to the top.


Top up with a little more feed and water retaining gel.


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket
Trailing fuchsia is a good plant to use. It is particularly good in shade.


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket
Verbena come in many colours and flowers really well.


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket
Do tease the root a little and you may need to remove a few. They will grow back very quickly.


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket
Bacopa an excellent plant, White highlights a basket so we like to include a little. Bacopa is now available in pink and blue.


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket


Bacopa


Petunia
Petunia trails exceptionally well. The new varieties this year are more compact and floriliferous.


Verbena
Another reliable verbena


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket
The rich coloured petunia will look ho with the red verbena


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket
Once the rim is covered move on to the center.


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket
This is Heliotrope. It has a lovely vanilla fragrance.


Geraniums always do well in the center


Nemsia stands upright also in the center


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket
These 3 little white petunia just help to finish the basket off. Place them around you 3 main central plants, behind your trailing plants on the rim.

How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket
The finished center top.


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket


How To Make A Summer Hanging Basket
The new basket hanging up. This now needs to settle in for about 3 days. We have watered it will. It will have a small amount of feed daily through our system. Some people do prefer to give them a big feed twice a week.