If you are thinking of hanging baskets, how to conjure them up, planting colourful plants, and hanging them from your garden or patio, then this is for you. With living spaces becoming smaller and gardens decreasing in size, gardeners are constantly looking for clever ways to incorporate plants into their lives.  Hanging baskets can make a dead space come to life, adding an extra dimension to gardens and even indoors. 

Here’s what you’ll need to plant a hanging basket: 

  • Hanging baskets (wire, woven wicker, or wood) 
  • Basket liner (with a thick layer of moss from your garden or sustainably sourced sphagnum moss) 
  • Plants 
  • Hand trowel 
  • A short pot for balancing the basket on while planting 
  • Peat-free multi-purpose compost 
  • Newspaper and scissors 

Here’s how to get going: 

  1. Start by locating the area where your basket will be hanging. 
  2. Choose a sturdy basket, ensuring the chains or rope can support the weight of the plants. Most hanging baskets, if not woven, have drainage holes. If not, drill some holes; don’t want your flowers to have wet feet. 
  3. Potting Mix: It’s time to mix the peat-free multi-purpose compost with your potting soil. Add a handful of organic fertiliser. If you are planting up seedlings that need more moisture, you can add the newspaper in, as this will retain water for longer. 
  4. Place your hanging basket on a plastic pot, nestling it in the opening. This way, you can fill up your hanging basket with ease, as it will not fall to the side. 
  5. Fill the bottom of your basket with the potting mix you have mixed. 
  6. Place the bigger plants in the centre of the basket, and if you have trailing or smaller plants, place them on the sides.  
  7. Continue to fill the rest of the basket with your soil mixture and gently firm down. 
  8. Give it some good watering and add a liquid fertiliser once a month to your watering. You need to water your hanging basket regularly when it is dry. 
  9. When hanging your basket, don’t hang it so high that you cannot enjoy what you have planted. Suspend it at your eye level. This also allows for easy watering and maintenance. 
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How to prepare your perennial beds for winter

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