are artificial hanging baskets naff?

noonesperfect

Had a look whilst in Aldi.
Baskets were OK - fuschias/geraniums/petunias normal sort of thing.
£3.99 each.

pickle

I thought the same thing when my annuals died so I planted geraniums instead which hopefully I won't have to replace. I had a geranium in a pot and it lasted through the winter and is still going strong so all the baskets now have them.

tingly

pickle, are geraniums colourful in the winter, and do they keep coming back each year?

grannybroon

You need to be extremely lucky to overwinter geraniums outside. If there are severe frosts they will die - require to be kept in a frost free environment. They don't usually flower over the winter.

GB

exlibris

I put winter flowering pansies in my baskets last autumn. They are STILL flowering. I have fed them and de-headed from time to time.

tingly

pansies eh? do you think theyll last another winter?

If i go down the flower route, rather than the artificial, I am looking for something thats colourful, that doesnt need much looking after, that lasts so i dont have to keep rebuying and mucking around with compost ( it makes such a mess), and that looks spectacular!!
(i dont want much do I?!!!!!!!!)

kittykat500

My mum used to hide artificial plants amongst real ones and I couldn't tell that they were artificial - suppose that just proves that I'm no gardener then! Anyway that's what I would do - use a few sparingly and then remember to bring indoors when they're not supposed to be in bloom!

abbecer

They look awful. Cheap and nasty. Just grow trailing geraniums in your basket and forget about them. Need virtually no attention and look much better.

Rebecca x

exlibris

Confession time (slightly OT)

I have ONE artificial plant. It sits in the small porch! Real plants either died or stunk the porch out with an earthy smell.

Pleeese forgive me!!!

squiggle37

i got a plastic spider plant in my bathroom does look real..ish from a distance lol..nothing will grow in there as i dont have a window.

I wouldnt put plastic plants outside tho, i got pasies in a basket that i planted last autum/winter they still going strong cut them back they look better than the first time i put them in.