Four top tips on creating the perfect hanging basket

Hanging baskets are always a favourite during the summer. So here’s four top tips to make sure yours is the envy of all the neighbours.

Choosing your basket When it comes to choosing your hanging basket they are typically available in plastic or wire which is more traditional. I’ve found that the bigger the basket the easier it is to maintain and the healthier it stays, so I would recommend getting one over 13” in diameter or above. If you purchase the wire baskets it’s important to get a liner which will hold everything in place.

It’s usually sold separately so make sure you get one.

Adding soil Adding soil to your hanging baskets is very straight forward.

It’s best to use a compost which are specifically designed for what you’re doing so if you pop down to your local garden centre and look for a container and basket compost that would be ideal.

The reason for this is that it has all the necessary nutrients, and water retaining granules which help to hold in water when it gets dry, so less watering for you. But a general multipurpose compost will do the job.

Planting Baskets filled with one or two kinds of flowers often have the biggest impact and look much more appealing than the ones with lots of different types, but it’s really down to personal taste.

When using multiple types of plants, include tall, midrange and trailing types.

Place the taller plants in the centre and trailing plants round the edges. For example petunia, geraniums, pansies will offer large flowers and add impact, while lobelia, nepeta and calibrachoa have small trailing blooms which will help bring the whole basket together and add lots of different textures to your basket through both foliage and blooms.

Also it’s a great alternative to using ivy which can be a bit boring and very invasive in a hanging basket.

Water well Make sure to water your basket more frequently in the first few weeks to let the plants establish into their new home.

If you have chosen the container and basket compost which has the water retaining granules, watering will not need to be done as often but if you’re using just multipurpose compost on its own make sure to check your basket daily and water if dry.

I hope this quick guide has encouraged you to try and create your own hanging basket from scratch.

Not only is it designed to suit you but the satisfaction of making it yourself should make it worthwhile.

For more ideas visit the gallery page on my website where you can see some of the baskets I have created.