Hanging baskets and winter

jules1964

My hubby and I went to Homebase twice today lol the staff know us on first name terms as we are always in there looking for bargain plants!

Today we bought four hanging baskets reduced from £12 to £3.40. We thought we can brighten up the garden for the next few weeks and then fill them next year. The baskets had fuscia and bizzy lizzy in them and the lady in the shop said if we take them in and keep them out of the harsh winter weather and water them we should be able to keep them going for next year?

Has anyone else had any sucess doing this as it would save money for next year.

thanks.

tanith

I doubt the bizzy lizzies would survive unless you brought them into the house... the fuscias would be ok if you keep them frostfree and just cover with some fleece.. I like to fill my hanging baskets with small bulbs , pansies, ivy and cyclamen for the winter...

elsien

I've done it with my fuschias - I overwinter those and geraniums every year. Not so sure it would work with busy lizzies though, I put new ones in each year.
I take the fuschias out of the basket, pot them up and put them in my mini greenhouse over the winter, and use the baskets for winter pansies, narcissi and scilla so I have colour all year round. Then in the spring throw out the pansies and put in the summer bedding etc. I use soil from the compost bin so I'm not paying out for bags of compost. Works for me.

olly300

The original fushias that I had in hanging baskets got too big so I have potted them up in containers. To over winter them I cover them with fleece and leave in a shelter position near my house.

You don't need to go mad with watering them in winter you just need to check that the soil is damp but not sodden.

What tends to happen is that the leaves die off and next year in Spring I give them a good prune.

The only busy lizzy I managed to save has become a house plant.

Apparently fushias don't like being in central heating there as busy lizzies depending on the type can be happy with in a room with it.

You can easily take cuttings of them but to be honest I've got too many tender plants so haven't bothered.

cheerfulness4

My mum keeps her favourite busy lizzes indoors each year throughout winter and then out they go in the summer again.
She takes lots of cuttings from them too so that she has extras for more baskets the following year.

jules1964

Thank you so much everyone for your helpful advice it's really appreciated. :T:A