Planting a hanging basket

Plants in a hanging basket with flourish if they are properly planted and maintained. You need a firm base or holder ( such as an empty pot or bucket), damp sphagnum moss, polythene, granules of slow – release fertilizer, water- retaining crystals, and relatively light, soil –less compost. Select your plants carefully, ensuring that you include something to add height in the center. The final rule is to always take your time.

1. Firmly balance the basket on a empty pot, and then pack it with handfuls of damp sphagnum moss.

2. Line the sphagnum moss with polythene. Trim it flush to the top, and cut slits all round every 3 in (7.5cm).

3. Inserts the trailing plants first. Working up from the bottom, push them through the hole from the inside.

4. Use the tallest vertical plant top center, with trailers around. The soil surface should be 1 in (2.5cm) below the rim.

STYLISH SHELVES

ABOVE: the simple, highly effective purpose-made scheme is no more than a blue shelf with holes for the pots, mounted on strong brackets. It gains great impact by ordered repeat planting using gorgeous, red pelargoniums.

ANNUALS ARE BEST

LEFT: Since wall pots hold half the amount of compost of an ordinary pot, stick to bedding and shallow – rooted plants such as these lovely purple petunias.