Hanging High
Hanging baskets offer a timeless approach to gussying up patios and porches. Sure, baskets of Boston ferns, bursting at the seams with their sinuous mocha roots, and hot pink bougainvilleas can certainly jazz up jaded verandas, but I’m not referring to those plastic green planters that can be found at every nursery—the fabricated baskets already chock-full of impatiens, petunias, or geraniums. I mean full-fledged combination planters that not only suggest the present season, but reflect the gardener’s personality as well. Some gardeners have a hankering for succulents, collecting every sedum and echeveria before them, while others show their devotion toward perennials, treasuring the latest coneflowers, daisies, and verbenas. Still other gardeners are inspired by tropicals, herbs, grasses, or annuals. Combination baskets, whether simple or intricate, prove an excellent source for showcasing your passion for gardening. This fall, welcome the cool season by mixing up some of your favorite ornamentals in baskets.
Selecting Planters:
When choosing your container, remember that anything goes; as long as it has drainage holes, you can make it a planter. Steer clear of the basic green or white baskets though; while traditional pots might be perfect for your favorite creepers, more elaborate planters look best when sharing the limelight. Instead, try wire baskets, hanging strawberry jars, antique aluminum canisters, and ornate terra-cotta planters. When selecting colors, sizes, and shapes, let your basket complement its surroundings. Integrate narrow, triangular pots in diminutive openings, while hanging more rotund planters around larger terraces.
For most combinations, you’ll need a planter at least 14 to 16 inches across to allow adequate growing space. Although you can certainly go larger, keep in mind the ultimate size and weight of your basket; not only will a massive container look unwieldy suspended from your porch, but it might prove too heavy to hang after being planted. Once you have determined the size container you will use, make sure you have a secure spot to hang it; the last thing you need is your pricey clay pot crashing to the ground. Use sturdy hooks and wires when hanging any of your containers, and consider utilizing rope for oversized planters.
The Dirt on Baskets
Before adding any soil to your containers, line the bottoms with pea gravel or newspaper so as to prevent any soil loss. Once you have done this, make sure to add a good planting mix—ideally, you want the mix to be light enough to drain rapidly, while at the same time retaining sufficient moisture for the roots. Refrain from using topsoils with excessive sand, since they more readily lead to soil borne diseases. Purchase instead a higher grade, lightweight planting mix that consists of pine bark and peat moss. Although topdressing isn’t essential for hanging baskets, if you plan to hang any at eye level, leave about two inches of space between the top of the soil and the top of the container for mulch. Mulch will not only help retain moisture, but it adds an aesthetic quality, as well.
Color for your Containers
The first thing to consider when planting your baskets is how long you want them to last. Do you prefer seasonal hanging baskets, or would you rather only change them annually? Next, ensure your baskets are large enough for the plants; while you want the containers to look full, take care not to overcrowd them. Likewise, make sure the plants you have selected are suitable for pots. Some ornamentals, like sweet potato vines and ‘Wave’ petunias grow too large or too rapid for combination settings, and ultimately overpower the baskets. If planting for the fall, cast ‘Montego Bronze’ snapdragons as lead in one of your baskets, surrounding them with supporting stars like ‘Disco Yellow’ marigolds, blue lobelia, creeping rosemary, and nasturtium. Go bolder with your baskets by planting ‘Cappuccino’ grass (Carex tenuiculmis) in the center, while mixing in ‘Telstar Salmon’ dianthus, ‘Luminaire Yellow’ snapdragons, ‘Disco Flame’ marigolds, and ‘Dreams White’ petunias. Remember that when composing these baskets, you will only need one of each variety listed, and make sure to start small—part of the fun comes from watching your plants grow.
Look beyond the norm of baskets by hanging strawberry jars; patios and porches can instantly be enlivened by tucking ‘Lemon Chiffon’ violas or ‘Crown Yellow’ pansies in each of the terra-cotta pockets. A more practical approach—or companion to your ornamentals—might be to include a hanging kitchen garden. In the uppermost mouth of the strawberry jar, plant your favorite upright culinary herb like sweet basil, Italian parsley, cilantro, dill, or fennel. Use the side pockets for tasty creepers like lemon scented thyme, Greek oregano, and chocolate mint. Consider also planting wire baskets of ‘Salad Bowl Red’ lettuce, while integrating creeping rosemary, variegated thyme, and ‘Sorbet Citrus’ violas.
If space allows, consider also adding a living wall of baskets—hang five- or six-inch size pots at varied heights along the edge of your veranda. Trailing plants with delicate foliage like English ivy, string-of-pearls (Senecio rowleyanus), and Lysimachia ‘Creeping Jenny’ work best in this setting, creating the image of beaded curtains. Since the possibilities of hanging plants are almost endless, don’t limit yourself to just baskets. Mount planters of ‘Maidenhair’ and ‘Rabbit’s foot’ ferns on brick walls, along with selaginella and ‘Kolibri’ English ivy. Staggered plaques of ‘Staghorn’ fern also look charming, if not rugged, when mounted on patio walls. Hanging baskets offer a whole new realm to the world of gardening. This fall, open your mind to greater planting, and let your imagination soar. ✦
Build Your Own Moss Basket:
Materials
Wire basket (at least 14"-16" diameter)
Sphagnum moss
Potting soil
Slow-release fertilizer
Soil moist or Perlite (optional, but aids in water retention)
Design Tip: Hanging baskets are viewed from the bottom and sides, as well as the top, so why not max out the use of your planter? Unlike plastic containers, wire baskets allow gardeners to fully plant the entire basket, so take advantage of this spacious luxury.
7 Steps to Success
1) Mix soil, fertilizer, and soil moist or Perlite. Moisten the mixture and set aside. Using another bucket, soak the sphagnum moss.
2) Take a handful of moss and wring it out. Beginning on the bottom of the basket, press the moss against the frame from the inside – use one hand on each side of the basket. Continue building the wall of moss, one handful of moss at a time—this should give you an even layer approximately 1 ˝" thick, there will not be enough room for soil and roots.
3) Put three small trailing plants (like ivy or calibrachoa) in the bottom of the basket, making sure the roots are in the frame.
4) Continue lining the moss along the bottom and then about an inch up the sides of the basket.
5) Add a row of your favorite bedding plants in the lower third of the basket. Make sure the roots are well inside the basket so that they will make contact with the soil. Add the soil mixture to the lower part of the basket, and repeat this process for the next third of the basket, staggering the plants so they do not overlap those on the next row.
6) Continue edging the moss to the upper rim of the basket. Plant cascading flowers over the edge of the basket, with the larger, more upright plants in the center.
7) Once your basket is ready to be hung, water it thoroughly. Remember to check the moisture every day, since this is the most important step to success for hanging baskets.
