Basket columns give magical appearance
Basket or border columns may not be something you have heard of or have tried, and you may be asking what a basket column is. My best description is a large wire basket with a coconut coir liner that gives the appearance of floating on air by virtue of being mounted on a 4-by-4-foot post or metal column.
I first saw something similar more than a decade ago at Goldsmith Seed in Gilroy, Calif. The event was showcasing their new Bada Bing Bada Boom begonia series. It seemed everywhere you looked, there were these begonias almost floating on air. I thought to myself, wow let’s take this idea to the landscape.
Today the concept is easy, thanks to Pamela Crawford’s designed columns and baskets with the Kinsman Company. All I can say is how stunningly beautiful; everyone should give these a try.
As a garden writer and horticulturist, I was in luck as my son James, the colour guru for Grow Landscape in Columbus, Ga., had a client who was eager to give them a try. He purchased six and artistically arranged them along the front of a tall porch of a Southern style home.
The baskets come pre-punched with holes allowing for easy planting. You might think the design would be hard but in reality, the same idea of thriller, spiller and filler is applicable; you just have the option of choosing more species of plants.
Visit www.kinsmangarden.com to see the planters and also to get visual instructions on planting the baskets. If you are one of those gardeners who excels when it comes to container gardens but perhaps lacks the success you want in the landscape, it’s likely due to the good soil mix you use in containers and perfect drainage.
You will find this same success with the border column and basket column planters. Be sure not to skimp on the soil; buy soil that is light and airy and sold by the cubic foot. It is also a good idea to buy soil with controlled released granules incorporated into the mix. During the growing season, feed regularly with a dilute watersoluble fertilizer. You will be amazed at the ability of plants like petunias and calibrachoas to keep growing and blooming with regular fertilization.
These planters aren’t just for the warm season but also for the long, cool season ahead too. Trailing pansies, trailing snapdragons, lamiums, euphorbias, and ornamental kale and cabbage all embrace the change in temperatures. If you thought container gardening, growing in baskets and window boxes was fun, just wait until you try the new border columns or basket columns.