Before we get into the hanging baskets and all the wonderful basket stuffers and the moss and all that ...
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...and after all, what would spring be without Easter, to bring in bunnies and eggs and all those symbols of glorious fertility! Spring is in the air (despite all that hail)! Please join me in sharing this last serious attempt at an article for the next few months In the next seven weeks I will be discussing each colour in the garden, and what flowers are easy to grow in that colour group. Yes, that's right -- it's The Rainbow -- Beginner Style!
Hanging Gardens -- Beginner Style!
With a history that goes back to the the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, suspended plants have been around for a long time. Moss hanging baskets were made wildly popular by the Victorians, and have been hanging around in North American gardens ever since.
A few years back, I read an article in BBC Gardening World about what was hot and what was not. Hanging baskets were put into the same group as plaster lawn ornaments, and were apparently totally suburban and out of style, but it seems now that both have come back into vogue. However, instead of taking the hanging basket concept as it stands, trendy gardeners are running wildly off in all directions.
In this article, I will show you how to make a hanging basket, simply. I hope that you will find the information simple and to the point. After spending the better part of six spring seasons as a demonstrator in a large garden centre, showing people how to make their own moss baskets, among other things, I have formulated a way to get the directions across as simply as possible.
Frames
Choose a frame for your hanging basket. They come in many sizes and shapes, and vary in cost. First, there are those with flat bottoms. The plain metal frames are galvanized and generally cheaper than enamelled ones, but won't last as long. After one year, rungs may begin to snap away from the horizontal bars. It is just a matter of investment. Secondly, there are those with round bottoms. These are often a higher-quality basket. The rungs and bars are heavier and sturdier. These can last a lifetime.
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