If you have been to a garden center recently, you probably have seen a variety of various hanging baskets, all of which were very colorful. The temptation is strong to buy a ready-made one and I do not want to discourage you from buying one. However, give some thought about making your own. Whether hanging or stationary, creating your own basket and selecting the plants you want in it can be a fun project and one that kids can easily be involved in. It could be your own child, grandchild or neighbor. Consider that many children today have little opportunity to connect to the earth and you just might be instilling a fondness for gardening that could continue through adulthood.
One of the first things to decide before purchasing the plants will be where the basket will be located. Will it be in full sun, full shade, or a mix of the two? The selection of the location will determine the plants to use. It is also wise to determine the color theme, if there is one.
The correct potting mix is a critical factor because you only get one chance to get it right. For most baskets Black Gold All Purpose Potting Mix is a good general potting mix. If baskets are going to be in a hot and sunny location, Black Gold Natural & Organic Cocoblend Potting Mix would be a good choice because the coir, (coconut fiber) has excellent water retention qualities.
Selecting the plants can be a fun task and if would be a good idea to check with your local garden center and ask for some suggestions on what plants to use as well as how many are recommended to go in the basket. Generally, for baskets, plants are placed much closer together than they would be if planted in the ground. Most garden center baskets will have a diverse mix of plants as well as flower color. However, single color baskets can make a bold statement. Making an all-white flowering basket can be a good choice to brighten a late afternoon or evening.
Notice the above basket has white calibrachoas, white geraniums, and on the right side a dark purple sweet potato vine is growing and with summer heat, it will soon
be trailing over the basket. The spiky plant in the center is a variegated Cordyline.
On a recent visit to a plant trial event where growers introduce and show off their new plant introductions as well as old favorites, the following three baskets caught my eye.
Petunia ‘Black Mamba’ was a showstopper. With the purple flowers and contrasting green leaves, this makes quite a statement.
This grouping of some beautiful coleus foliage of coleus with calibrachoa provided some wonderful color.
Coleus ‘Spitfire’ makes a great color statement.
Fuchsia ‘Tom West’
Fuchsias are a very popular hanging basket plant for a shady location. Most fuchsias will take some morning sun but will easily burn with hot afternoon sun. I have grown the fuchsia ‘Tom West’, pictured above, and even without flowers, this makes a colorful basket plant with the variegated leaves. This is also a fuchsia that will tolerant more sun than most.
Since most baskets will be exposed to the elements and will dry out quickly, they will require watering once a day, on hot days, maybe twice a day. If allowed to dry out, the root ball may shrink away from the sides of the pot and create an empty space. Water will then run down this empty space and drain without being absorbed by the root ball. With the daily watering, nutrients will be lost and a water-soluble plant fertilizer should be applied at least every two weeks to encourage new growth and continuous flowering.
Don’t be afraid to mix things up! Create a basket that is uniquely you.
About Mike Darcy