HOW TO PLANT A HANGING BASKET

HANGING baskets tend to dry out very quickly so will need to be watered at least daily – and the plants you use must be able to cope with a certain amount of drought. There is a technique for planting them that ensures a really vibrant display and also takes into account that they are primarily viewed from below – so cannot simply be planted into the top of the basket. You should be able to find everything you need at garden centres.

Rest the basket on a bucket or pot so that it sits securely yet with most of the basket exposed.

Line the bottom of the basket and halfway up the sides with sphagnum moss. You can buy proprietary alternatives to this, often made of coir, but moss looks better and you can buy it by the bag.

Fill half the basket – to the level of the moss – with potting compost. Mix in a handful of vermiculite to improve water retention and keep the weight low.

Start planting into the compost through the bars of the basket, pushing the roots in from the outside, so they sit on top of the compost. Work round the basket so the planting is balanced.

Put more moss around the sides and then add more compost to within an inch of the top, covering the roots.

Plant the remainder of your plants, starting in the middle and working out towards the edge, where it is best to place those plants that will trail down.

Water the basket thoroughly but gently and then cover any bare soil with more moss to reduce the rate of evaporation.

If using tender plants such as pelargoniums, nasturtiums or fuchsias, sit the basket in a protected spot resting on a bucket and keep it watered until the last risk of frost has passed before hanging it in its final position.