Hanging baskets work wonders
THERE is a new trend in Avondale, Harare.
This is the concept of furnished accommodation. Under this arrangement, which seems to have gained popularity in the area, tenants move into an already furnished apartment.
However, I am not going to dwell much on that. Rather, I will talk about the refreshing feeling I got after visiting the Grays Apartments. The place is beautiful and meets modern standards. One of the interesting features is the incorporation of plant life. The plants selected have a tropical feel. They include the ladder fern (nephrolepsis exaltata), the golden cane palm (chrysalidocarpus lutescens), the dumb cane (diffenbachia spp) and the variegated liriope.
The plants, once established, require minimum maintenance yet they have a pleasing greening effect.
What really stands out about this apartment are the hanging baskets that are scattered both inside and outside the complex. They, uniquely, all have the ladder fern as the choice of plant.
It is indeed a good choice since the fern is a resilient plant, which can withstand the harshest of conditions. It tolerates drought, heat and neglect.
What makes it long living are the bulb-like structures on its roots, which act as storage appendages from which they can draw nourishment. This brings us to the important subject of how to incorporate and maintain hanging baskets in a garden or green-up project.
Hanging baskets are a great way of decorating porches, decks, verandas and even bare walls. They are an easy way of creating beauty without the hassle of constant maintenance.
Baskets can bring as much colour and fascination as would a full-fledged garden.
So, how do you maintain them to a pleasing effect? A good potting mix is necessary for hanging baskets. Good mixes do not contain garden soil. They are, instead, soilless; they comprise sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite and perlite. Slow-release fertilisers can be included. You can purchase ready-to-use potting mixes with water-absorbing crystals from reputable nurseries.
Water the pots frequently. However, allow the water to drain from them, ensuring that the potting mix does not dry out completely.
Ensure the baskets are regularly fertilised with slow-release fertilisers every three weeks in summer. Avoid fertilisers with high nitrogen content as they cause excessive growth at the expense of flowers.
Some flowers require deadheading, trimming of dead blooms or branches. This ensures they keep flowering.
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