If you want to give your porch, patio or deck a spot of color, try making a hanging basket. You can buy a pretty plastic hanging basket, or you can get a wire basket form at your local garden center. Whatever you pick, remember, it is going to hang so you don’t want to make it too heavy. You will also need some sphagnum moss, soil and some plants. Below are quick, easy directions for making a hanging basket with a classic wire form.
Soak the moss in some water and then squeeze it out good. You are going to totally line the inside of the basket form with the moss being sure to overlap it so there are no gaps. It will look something like a bird’s nest on the inside of the basket form. The next step is an option. You can take the moss half way up the container and then fill it with your soil. Next, take some of your little plants and, laying them on their side, you gently stick the plant out the side holes. Don’t try to stick the root end through the wire because you may damage the root. After placing about five plants around the outside openings of your container, finish lining the rest of the container. You then continue to fill the center with more good soil. This gives you some plants cascading at different levels. If you prefer, you can line the whole container at once, fill it with dirt and place all of your plants in the top of your hanging basket.
If your hanging basket will be in a sunny spot, verbena makes a great choice. Verbena spreads easily and comes in many different colors like white, pink, red and blue.
In sunny areas, cascading petunias also work well for a hanging basket. There are many varieties of petunias and the cascading breed spill nicely over the sides. Coleus and wandering Jew make very nice hanging baskets also.
If a shady area is where your hanging basket will be, ivy geraniums are a pretty choice. They are great at trailing up to three feet and will look exceptional in your hanging basket. Begonias and fuchsia also do well in an area with some shade. Begonias come in reds, pinks, white and yellow while fuchsia are very showy flowers in violet, white, pink, red and orange. Spiders plants are definitely an option for a hanging basket. You can be creative with your plants and place a taller, upright plant in the center and your full, trailing plants on the outside edge. If you mix plants, be sure they are compatible and need the same amount of sun and water.
Since the plant has a limited amount of soil, you must be sure to keep your hanging baskets watered. It is best to water them in the morning before it gets too hot. If you keep the dead blooms pinched, your plants will bloom longer.
You can hang your hanging baskets on the porch, deck, a trellis or railing. Hanging baskets also look wonderful hanging on gaslights. Hanging baskets are an easy way to add color and beauty to your home.
