As the weather begins to warm up, more time is spent outside enjoying the great outdoors. Just as you add beautiful decor and floral arrangements inside your home, why not spruce up your yard or patio with some beautiful hanging plants? They add visual interest and a pop of color to any outdoor space. Hanging baskets are so easy to put together and a great way to incorporate your own personal style. Doing it yourself is not only simple, but you have more quality control than the ones you pick out at a garden center. You can mix and match color combinations, textures and different heights.
When I'm styling my own pot of flowers, I like to follow a tried and true method. I make sure to add a thriller, a filler and a spiller. The thriller plant is the main attraction of your creation. When picking, look for a little bit of height mixed with texture or a vibrant color. You want to pick something with structure and shape. The fillers do exactly what it sounds like. They fill up your basket and add contrast to the thriller. A striking mounding annual is perfect for this job. Spillers quite literally spill out of your basket as the season progresses. These plants are placed at the edge of the pot. Just as Rapunzel's long hair did, they dangle down and tumble out. Each of your plants work together as a team and amplify the beauty of your own little hanging garden.
Once you have your supplies and plants ready to go, just make sure whatever hanging basket you choose is lined. Now it's time to start prepping your soil. I like to combine Miracle Gro Moisture Control potting mix with Coast of Maine Quoddy Blend lobster compost. The moisture control is super helpful in containers and helps retain water while feeding your plants. The lobster compost I use contains sphagnum peat moss. This also helps cut down on the amount of watering your planter will need. It also helps improve drainage to prevent over watering. Getting that perfect balance can sometimes be a challenge especially in the hot summer months.
Next I added in my Burpee Rain Gel water storing granules. This will save you from the dreaded dead hanging plants syndrome that follows any short vacation or weekend getaway. I can't tell you how many times I've gone away and come home to a sad looking plant all shriveled up and wilted. It helps reduce the amount of watering needed from daily to once a week. Trust me when I say, this is a huge help! Just mix some into your soil before you add your plants, and you are good to go! Just remember, you still have to water your plant more frequently the hotter it gets. If a heat wave hits, make sure to give your plant extra water and stick your fingers in the soil daily for a quick check!
Now onto the fun part. Adding all of your beautiful plants. You've done your research, sought them out, and it's time for them to shine! After you have added a small layer of soil to the bottom of the container, position your plants where you would like. You can play around with them until you find the perfect spot. Once you have found the design you like best, take them out of the containers and fill in the gaps with extra soil. Gently press your plants down and firm soil around plants. If you notice any faded flowers or damaged stems, now is the time to cut and remove them. Make sure to keep the top layer of soil a few centimeters below the top of your basket to allow room for watering. I can't tell you how many times in the past I have overfilled my containers. Watering becomes a messy process, and it's just not pretty.
After filling your hanging basket with your gorgeous flowers and soil, make sure to give it a healthy drink of water. This is the most important drink you can give your plants. It helps them acclimate, and prevents transplant shock. You want to give your planter the best start it can get! After the initial watering, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind. Make sure to keep the soil evenly moist. Don't overwater your soil, and allow it to slightly dry. This promotes root growth of your plants. You never want your flowers sitting in constant soggy soil. If possible, water early in the morning or late in the evening. Try never to water your plant in direct sun. This will cause your plants to burn. As long as you keep these things in mind, your hanging plants will flourish!
Do you enjoy putting together your own hanging baskets? Have any favorite thriller, filler or spiller plants? Please share with me in the comment section below. Have any pictures of DIY outdoor projects you'd like to share with me? Feel free to tweet them to me here @thefreckledrose. Now that I have put together some hanging baskets, I can't wait to get started on my container gardening next weekend! Wishing you good weather and healthy soil for all your garden projects to come!
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30 Comments
Marilyn Lesniak
May 19, 2016 at 10:29 amI put up hanging baskets every year. Now if you have some tips to remember to water them… Thanks for sharing at #WonderfulWednesday! Pinned and tweeted.
Sahvana Stapleton
May 19, 2016 at 1:19 amThis is exactly what I was looking for! We have a hook right over our front entrance that is perfect for a hanging basket (at least that’s what I think the previous owners would’ve hung there.) I just didn’t even know where to start. Thank you!
Ramblingwoods
May 18, 2016 at 11:43 pmVery informative post… Thank you … Michelle
Jami
May 18, 2016 at 7:35 pmYour baskets are SO gorgeous, Angie!! I love the container, too – so unique.
Brittany Nikole
May 18, 2016 at 3:10 pmI’ve been a little obsessed with making my own window boxes lately that it didn’t even cross by mind to make my own hanging plants! I’ll definitely be using this as a reference- thank you!
daisy
May 17, 2016 at 9:44 pmIt screams “spring”! What a beautiful addition to your garden.
Thank you so much for joining us this week on The Maple Hill Hop! Enjoy your blooms!
Paula Niziolek
May 17, 2016 at 7:26 pmBeautiful! I love the moss covered baskets! I’ve never heard of Lobster compost. Going to have to see if we can get something like that here on the Oregon Coast.
Candy
May 17, 2016 at 6:03 pmI have been making baskets all wrong. Thanks for instructions.
Shelly
May 17, 2016 at 5:27 pmYour planter turned out just beautiful. I was sitting at our kitchen table today and a hummingbird came up to my hanging fuschia. It so nice to see the birds enjoying the flowers as much as we do.
The water storing granules have saved my plants more than once. We have drying winds here off and on and the water crystals help to keep the moisture more even. Especially when I don’t realize they are drying out quicker because of the wind.
Diane
May 17, 2016 at 3:11 pmAngie THANK YOU!! This post is SO helpful to me.
I have about given up on keeping my containers going all summer. I am definitely getting some of those gel beads. What a great idea.
I love all your tips and tricks. It’s so fun this time of year to get planting containers. Now I have hope they will live through the summer!
Eileen
May 17, 2016 at 12:02 pmHello, the hanging baskets are so pretty. Thanks for sharing the info and post. Happy Tuesday, enjoy your day and the week ahead!
Michelle Marine
May 17, 2016 at 10:49 amBeautiful baskets, Angie! Thanks so much for the great tips. <3
Lea
May 17, 2016 at 10:22 amVery interesting and informative. And the finished product – Very pretty basket of flowers!
Sarah Koontz
May 17, 2016 at 8:27 amBeautiful basket, Angie! I especially love the tip about keeping the soil below the top of the pot. Someone recently gave me a potted plant and failed to do this. It’s a bugger to water!
Heather
May 17, 2016 at 8:21 amNever heard of the gel water granulers before. Thanks for the tip! Could I use these in veggie containers? How inorganic are they?