Help needed to plant a hanging basket

ClaireLR

I was wondering if anyone can help me

My dad has taken a real interest in his garden this year and has planted lots of nice flowers. I thought it might be nice for fathers day to plant a couple of hanging baskets for his garden.

Only problem is Ive never done onne before!

Can anyone give me any tips of how to do this? I have no idea what plants to put in (Id like something colourful, and if possible something that will flower quite quickly!) and also I have bought some moss to put in it, do I need to use compost as well or just moss??

they will be in a position that gets sun from about 2pm till sunset (not sure if this is south or north facing??)

Can anyone give me any tips please?

Pink.

Hi Claire,

What a lovely idea for your Dad! Go to your local garden centre and have a look at the summer bedding plants to see what you like.....if you need advice ask someone there, they are usually very helpful when asked for advice.

Some of my favourites for hanging baskets are petunias, fuschia, lobelia, geranium.......but you can add in whatever you like.

This video might help: How to make a summer hanging basketAlso might be worth a look at this link: Planting a hanging basket

Good luck and I hope that you're Dad loves his Father's day present.

Pink

ClaireLR

Thanks pink, just had a look at the vid and it's really helpful! Didnt know you had to add the water retaining crystals! My friend works in a pound shop and she has just said they sell hanging baskets, brackets, plant feed, crystals, dried out moss (which you rehydrate) all for a pound each! So £7 and I have my compost, then just need plants.

Thanks again for the vid, I shall be taking a trip to the garden centre on wednesday!

Kay_Peel

Save yourself the expense of water gel, Claire.

Cut up a bit of an old sponge into small pieces and mix the spongey bits into the compost. They'll retain the water for you.

k.

Pink.

I've never bothered with the gel either.......I just give them a good drink most evenings and they're fine.

Pink

sce37

screwed up newspaper at the bottom of the hanging basket will retain moisture also.
I raked up all the growing moss in my garden for nothing - soaked it in water to moisten and lined 7 baskets for nothing and tidied up the lawn at the same time.

cjb02

to keep the water in once I have my moss in I line the bottom with a carrier bag and then put the compost in. This way a little water is held in a reserviour.

Also good plants to put in are things like lobelia, trailing petunias or trailing fuchsias as they hang down.

Mizz_Pink

Ive just made one as I ahd loads of plants left over from doing my tubs. My Mum helped me and lined to basket with a black bin liner folded over. Then fill with compost, punch holes about 4 or 5 in the side of the basket quiet near the top of the basket. Trailing plants as mentioned already poke through the holes so the roots are in the compost then fill with petnuias, fuschia, surfinas, marigolds, anythign like that ! Water twice a day not when its sunny though so in am and evening.

Good luck

peter_the_piper

Trailing Begonias are great, wide range of colours and no dead heading. Torenia are also good, both blue and yellow. Dichondra, nepeta and Helichrysum give you a different colour leaf and hang a long way down. Lotus give a silver needly foliage and an interesting shape flower. Nemesia are scented. No basket is complete(IMHO) without Trailing Geraniums and Trailing verbena.
Treat the watering gel as an added bit of insurance only against the day when you go out and the day gets hotter than forecast.
Make sure it is well watered every evening and even during the day as well if the summer turns into a roaster.