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.
This is nepeta and it trails beautifully.
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.
Add soil to the top.
Top up with a little more feed and water retaining gel.
Trailing fuchsia is a good plant to use. It is particularly good in shade.
Verbena come in many colours and flowers really well.
Do tease the root a little and you may need to remove a few. They will grow back very quickly.
Bacopa an excellent plant, White highlights a basket so we like to include a little. Bacopa is now available in pink and blue.
Petunia trails exceptionally well. The new varieties this year are more compact and floriliferous.
Another reliable verbena
The rich coloured petunia will look ho with the red verbena
Once the rim is covered move on to the center.
This is Heliotrope. It has a lovely vanilla fragrance.
Geraniums always do well in the center
Nemsia stands upright also in the center
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.
The finished center top.
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.
