A hanging basket can serve as a lot of things. It can accent your front porch or even fill up your empty wall. No matter how you use your hanging basket it allows you to play with colors.

As we know today, our landscapes are shrinking and shrinking. Therefore, we have lesser spaces to plant our flowers. And that is where hanging baskets come in handy. If you plan to expand your garden kingdom, hanging baskets is your ticket. It’s also the easiest and most convenient way of bringing your garden close to home.

The first thing to remember is that traditionally you put trailing plants with three other types of flowers with the same variety on top. But you can also use an openly sided hanging basket and just plant the sides as well. When using the technique of the openly sided hanging basket it gives you the ability to plant three times more than in the traditional basket. If you want to create an illusion of having mountains of texture and colors you could use a lot of clumpers and trailers.

Introduction

Hanging baskets are perfect accent pieces that add a touch of lavish extravagance to any garden. Hanging baskets are a great opportunity to get creative and explore with a lot of combinations of colors and textures. Including houseplants, and escape from run-of-the-mill bedding options.

 A lot of people buy ready-made hanging baskets instead of making their own and seeing their creation bloom. Instead of buying and spending too much you should try making your own hanging basket. Aside from being able to save a lot, you can customize it.

When it comes to hanging baskets, there are a lot of choices you can pick from. The solid plastic ones can stock water so you won’t have to water them daily. We also have the woven wicker baskets that show an earthier aura. Meanwhile, a homemade wire framed basket also gives a bit of a modern touch.

While you are deciding what hanging basket to use, remember that the size is important. If you get a hanging basket that’s too small for your plants you will have to water and prune it regularly. A bigger basket allows higher retention of water. Therefore, with large baskets, there is less maintenance and it gives you more chances to plant more vibrant plants. It will help you a lot if you already have a plant in mind before picking the size.

Hanging baskets are one of the best places to get creative.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Hanging Baskets 

You can use different types of plants for your hanging baskets. You include herbs and fruits, and of course flowers and create an interesting and colorful display for the whole year or so.

Let’s begin with the step by step guide in creating your hanging baskets.

When’s the best time to plant your hanging basket? If you are planning to plant summer beddings you should be planting them in late spring. You should give them a few weeks to launch themselves before they make their moment when you hung them outdoors.

It best to plant tender plants in mid-spring. It is the time when you’ll be able to grow them properly.

You should know that winter plants should be planted in mid-spring. It should be around the same time as spring flowering bulbs.

For other plants, you can check the instructions on its packaging. You should be able to see an advice on when they should be planted.

What are the importance of liners and the type of baskets? As I’ve told you earlier, hanging baskets come in different varieties. But the most popular one’s today are the solid sided baskets that have built-in water reservoirs. These types are ideal for hot and exposed conditions.

When you want to keep your basket, moist and keep the compost from falling out you use the liners. Traditionally, the material for liners is sphagnum moss. These type of material is farmed just for this use so don’t try to collect it from the wild, okay?

Another commonly used material is coco fiber. But there are also hanging baskets that you can buy which are already pre-lined. For these types, depending on the material used, you should puncture a few holes in the bottom for the drainage.

Making Your Own Hanging Basket

 Materials Needed:

• Flower Starts. Wouldn’t we want an empty hanging basket, would we? The choice of flower to use is all yours. But remember our guideline on when types of flowers bloom. So, make sure the flower you pick is in the season. Consider different textures and colors, play with your creativity.
• A hanging basket with holes on its sides. This type of basket makes the flower bloom earlier than in the traditional ones.
• Potting mix

Let’s Get Started!

• First, you pour some potting mix into a bucket, then you wet it. After wetting it you should stir it. The idea is for you to make it sticky but don’t overdo it because you don’t want it to be mud like.
• You should fill it from the bottom of your first-row side slots. Smooth your potting mix then pat it down gently.
• Now you should start adding your first row of flower starts. If the potting mix base of the start is small enough you can work with the flower from the outside. Feed it into the pot from the outside in carefully. But if it’s otherwise you’ll need to be very careful in feeding the plant from inside out which can be a bit difficult.

• Carefully spread the roots of your flower starter. Until the base of your flower is even on the side of the hanging basket, adjust the flower to the soil.
• Feed in your flower starts onto the slot right across from the one you just did. If you plan to do a combination of flowers, make sure you’re paying attention where you’re putting it.
• Carefully add more potting mix into your hanging basket. It should be on top of the roots and up to the bottom of the second row.
• Make sure that your first-row roots are fully covered and your potting mix is evenly patted down.
• Again, plant your flower starts the same way you did to the first row. You’ll see a gap between the flower starts base and the top of the planting slot. Don’t worry about that because the layers of your moistened potting mix will close those up and fill them in.
• After you plant the whole second layer carefully add more potting mix. Add around an inch or two below the rims top of your hanging basket.
• Again, gently pat down your potting mix. Make sure to be careful so you won’t damage any root.
• Don’t forget that when you water this basket your potting mix will tighten a bit. So, you’ll have to have enough in your basket from the very start as this won’t be a problem and expose your flower start roots. You don’t want to starve them of their needed nutrients
• Now you’ll start planting from the top. Make holes large enough for planting your flower starts. As you plant your flower starts, make sure they are fully covered. As needed add more potting mix around each flower.
• You’re almost done! Insert the wire hangers in the pre-punched holes in your basket. Make sure the wire lengths are even, bend them back against each other and secure it by twisting the ends around the wires themselves several times.

And you’re done! You may now enjoy your hanging basket as it blooms. Don’t forget to add a container focused fertilizer to your hanging basket two to three times a week to make sure it blooms perfectly. Follow the instructions on its packaging to achieve the right ratio. Do not guess because it might kill your plant.

These types of plants benefit from having the fertilizer sprayed on its leaves occasionally. So, in a month, one of the weekly fertilization can have a sprinkle all over the foliage. On the days between fertilization schedules, you can simply water the basket. Remember to not overdo it as well as under do it.

Remember that this type of basket allows the flowers to bloom faster than in traditional ones. So, if you’ve made others in a traditional one don’t expect it to bloom at the same time.