Preparation is key to creating perfect baskets. Take the time to plant it up right and you’ll be rewarded with months of flowers to brighten your garden or front entrance. Hanging baskets need to be watered regularly, so it’s important to look for ways of retaining moisture – either buy a lined basket, or line it yourself with an old compost bag. For the best displays, feed your plants and deadhead frequently to keep the blooms coming.
1 Cut holes in the plastic liner to allow easy drainage, and if there’s no in-built water reservoir, pop a small plastic saucer in the bottom.
2 Fill with multi-purpose compost mixed with perlite to improve aeration. Add slow-release fertiliser granules when planting.
3 Position tall plants in the centre of the basket and trailing plants around the edges as well as in any planting holes in the sides.
4 Water once a day, or twice if it’s hot or windy, and make sure the compost is completely soaked through.
Basking in the sun
This combination mixes textures and colours for dramatic effect. The subtle blue-grey foliage of the festuca and the lotus provides the backdrop to the exotic orange and red flowers. Plant the festuca in the garden or a pot in autumn. Trim the trailing stems of the lotus, pot it up and keep in a frost-free place over winter for next year.
We used
➊ Festuca glauca x 2
➋ Lotus ‘Fire Vine’ x 3
➌ Begonia ‘Glowing Embers’ x 1
➍ Begonia ‘Santa Cruz Sunset’ x 1
➎ Approx 35cm willow basket
Standing tall
Combine white, blue and lavender in a slate-grey pot to create a timeless and elegant display. The lycianthes makes a perfect standard specimen, while the felicia holds its flowers above a haze of lobelia.
