Creating Hanging Baskets
Last weekend, I took a lovely jaunt to Fessler Nursery, just outside of Woodburn, Oregon. It was a mild, overcast, spring day here in Willamette Valley. My MIL (mother in law) had been bursting at the seams to get me to go with on her annual trip to Fesslers. She needed a truck to haul her loot and considering she had procured me a yard of free compost the day before, I was more than happy to oblige her and drive her down in the old truck.
I like to make my own hanging baskets and containers with annuals. While I do enjoy the gorgeous creations of others, nothing compares to designing my own. I will say that Fesslers has a most impressive variety of trailing fuchsia's, both in baskets and single annuals for sale. I enjoyed wandering around the enormous hot houses picking out just the right variety of plants.
I purchased wire baskets a few years back, the kind you line with coconut fibers. These baskets seemed very practical to me, as they are reusable and cost effective.
Earlier this month, a friend procured two relatively new wire hanging baskets that had been left curbside for garbage pick up. My friend is quite the salvage queen. Absolutely nothing wrong with the baskets, not even in need of a new coat of paint. I was pleased as punch when she offered them to me.
All of my wire baskets needed new coconut liners this year. You could also use moss. (We have a lot of moss in the Pacific Northwest.)
I bought liners at Fred Meyers. I think other box stores have them too, but I like Fred's, it supplies good jobs for local people and still holds buying/purchasing offices here in Portland. Larger nurseries may also stock these liners.
The liners you can purchase are often too big. Here's how you fix them. Simply cut ling slits, quartering the liner. I leave a good 3 - 4 inch uncut center.
Next, fold the quarters over each other as you push down the liner into the wire basket. Lastly, fill with good quality potting soil and your selected plants.
I also added fertilizing pellets that are slow release around the plants. In the past, I've made my own homemade compost tea to help boost those blooms. It's pretty cool to make your own fertilizer. Planting comfrey is on the 'to do' list this year, so I will have the option to make my own fertilizer next year.
It won't be long before I've got some pretty blooming baskets hanging from my porch and around the yard. The sunshine this week has already given my baskets a lovely boost of warmth.
I hope you too, are enjoying spring.
Cheers, Jenni
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| Some loot from Fesslers |
I like to make my own hanging baskets and containers with annuals. While I do enjoy the gorgeous creations of others, nothing compares to designing my own. I will say that Fesslers has a most impressive variety of trailing fuchsia's, both in baskets and single annuals for sale. I enjoyed wandering around the enormous hot houses picking out just the right variety of plants.
I purchased wire baskets a few years back, the kind you line with coconut fibers. These baskets seemed very practical to me, as they are reusable and cost effective.
Earlier this month, a friend procured two relatively new wire hanging baskets that had been left curbside for garbage pick up. My friend is quite the salvage queen. Absolutely nothing wrong with the baskets, not even in need of a new coat of paint. I was pleased as punch when she offered them to me.
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| Basket making supplies |
I bought liners at Fred Meyers. I think other box stores have them too, but I like Fred's, it supplies good jobs for local people and still holds buying/purchasing offices here in Portland. Larger nurseries may also stock these liners.
The liners you can purchase are often too big. Here's how you fix them. Simply cut ling slits, quartering the liner. I leave a good 3 - 4 inch uncut center.
Next, fold the quarters over each other as you push down the liner into the wire basket. Lastly, fill with good quality potting soil and your selected plants.
I also added fertilizing pellets that are slow release around the plants. In the past, I've made my own homemade compost tea to help boost those blooms. It's pretty cool to make your own fertilizer. Planting comfrey is on the 'to do' list this year, so I will have the option to make my own fertilizer next year.
It won't be long before I've got some pretty blooming baskets hanging from my porch and around the yard. The sunshine this week has already given my baskets a lovely boost of warmth.
I hope you too, are enjoying spring.
Cheers, Jenni
This post is so helpful! I was thinking of trying to make my own baskets this year so you are inspiring me. :)
ReplyDeleteLooks great! I love finding things that people have no use for and using them myself, but you don't usually find good hanging baskets like that. I've always been terrible at making my own hanging baskets, usually sticking to petunias. How do you decide where to start?
ReplyDeleteI think figuring out where you want to hang them is the first place to start. That way you can determine if you need full sun or shade annuals. Then, you get to go shopping :)
DeleteNeat! Now you will need some of those spring-loaded things which allow you to bring the baskets down to a convenient height for watering.
ReplyDeleteRe foxes in my garden: they (or more likely the local badgers) have dug tunnels UNDER the fences. You block a tunnel: they dig a new one!
That is insane about the foxes Mark.
DeleteYou've done a great job on the hanging baskets.
ReplyDeleteI would love to have some hanging baskets, I just always forget! :-) Funny, but true! This post might be the kick in the pants I needed :-)
ReplyDeleteThey'll look really good in a few weeks. I notice that you don't have any upside down plants as many do when using these type of baskets. Is this something to do with watering?
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of putting in any plants upside down. With this liner, that would be difficult to manage. But, if I used moss as a filler, I could easily do that :)
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ReplyDeleteDarn it! I'm jealous. I can't even think about taking my plants outside yet. I have some baskets like that from Lee Valley. I just have a hard time finding liners from here. I am happy for you. Can't wait to see your creations.
ReplyDeleteVery nice. I hope you'll post photos again later on. I bet they'll be spectacular.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great find! I've never relined my baskets, so thanks for showing me. I look forward to seeing them in bloom. :)
ReplyDelete