Creating Hanging Flower Baskets in Edmonds

By Debra Dill | May 6, 2023

Creating Your Own Beautiful Flowering Hanging Basket

By Debra Dill

April 23, 2023

1. Variegated geranium, purple petunia, black-eyed Susan vine, sweet potato vine, and pink verbena.

Ahh Spring! For those of us who love to garden, the dreams that begin to dance in our heads this time of year are not of sugarplums, but of growing things that flower and add beauty to our homes and neighborhoods. We look forward to getting our hands in the soil and to the joy of seeing the first buds of that new rose we planted last fall begin to unfurl. For some of us, dreams of hanging baskets overflowing with color begin to dance around in our dreams as well. And who doesn’t love the sight of a hanging basket with beautiful flowers near your front door or your favorite place to sit in your back yard? What can be even more satisfying than buying a basket, is to say that you planted this gorgeous vision yourself! However, if putting together your own hanging basket feels a bit intimidating, know that it is quite easy if you take a few steps to set yourself up to ensure success.

So, what are those steps? Well, as my Grandmother always told me, “First things should always be first”. For gardeners, this means that before you grab the car keys and head to your favorite nursery, there are a couple of important factors to consider that will help you with your dreams of hanging basket glory.

2. Orange begonia, Tradescantia, sweet potato vine, lobelia, and plectranthus make a great shade basket with two sets of complimentary colors: purple/orange and yellow/blue.

The very first thing to consider is where your basket is going to be placed. Will it hang in the shade, or will it have full sun all day? Will it be somewhere in between these two extremes? The amount of light and heat your basket will be subject to will dictate not only the type of plants you choose but will also dictate your watering schedule and other plant care needs throughout the season.

Secondly, can you be consistent with your watering schedule? This may seem like an odd thing to ask yourself, but this is another major component of basket care to consider. If you can be consistent with your watering schedule, then you will have a larger plant pallet to choose from. However, if you are like me, and watering is, well, rather inconsistent at best, then drought-tolerant plants, or hanging a basket in the shade, may be much more successful for you.

So, now that you have selected your site and know your watering needs, let’s get down to the details. This is where the fun begins!

Choosing your basket:

Moss

Moss baskets can be purchased prefabricated with a moss or coconut liner or can be put together by yourself using bagged sphagnum peat moss. There are several benefits to this type of basket. One is the ability to make a larger basket by planting the sides. Secondly, compared to a plastic containers, these types of baskets allow more airflow into the soil and faster water drainage. This allows for healthier plant roots and cooler soil. And third, well…they are just a little more aesthetically pleasing. However, because water runs through the basket rather quickly, watering consistently will be a must if you have chosen plants with higher water needs. If you’re a little less consistent, an industry trick is to place a little plastic liner at the bottom of the basket to hold the moisture a little longer between waterings.

Hanging_baskets-in-Edmonds Plastic baskets, on the other hand, can be a little less expensive and are somewhat easier to set up and use. However, when they are hung in a sunny location, the soil can become rather hot which is not great for root health. They also hold water moister a little longer, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but is something to know so that you can customize your basket care accordingly.

Small basket vs. a large basket

5. A small, moss basket with hens-n-chicks

Now that you have chosen the type of basket that will best work for your style, choosing the size of your basket is important as well. It is important

to note that, although smaller baskets can be less expensive, they simply don’t have enough growing space for most plants’ roots long term. Depending on the types of plants you have chosen, plants in a small basket may tire and begin to fade earlier in the season than those in a larger container. If your goal is to have a basket that looks great until the first frost in the fall, choose a container that is at least 14” in width or larger. The larger sizes of containers allow plants to have enough room to grow and flourish the entire season.

It is also all about the soil! This is important. Soil is everything! For any gardening success, healthy soil is always your friend. For baskets, a nice soilless potting mix with good drainage will keep your plant’s roots healthy and strong. This is the soil your plants will need to survive in for the entire season, so look for a lightweight mix that is rich, loose, and nutrient-filled. If you are using succulents, good drainage will be especially critical.

Plants!

This is truly where the fun begins! All your careful planning has paid off

6. Isn’t this fun?! The moss basket was reversed, a mesh attached to the bottom, and then planted to look like a jelly fish!

and now you get to put it all together with flower color and interesting foliage.

How many plants do you need for a good display? It is tempting to stuff as many plants into your basket as you can. “Why not? “, you say, “There is so much room!” But the issue with over-planting is that it doesn’t allow for the future growth of the plants, and they can quickly become overcrowded. Overcrowding will diminish your flower display and the overall health of your plants due to competition for water and nutrients in the restricted growing space. The key to success here is patience. Your basket may seem sparse at first but given time it will boast lush growth and beautiful flowers all season long.

For a 14” basket, 5 to 6 plants will fill the space nicely. For 16” baskets 7 plants will do. You can fudge these numbers up a bit but be careful not to go overboard. Your plants will reward you for your restraint.

Choosing your plants: This is where knowing where your basket is hanging in the sun or shade is important. Choose plants, whether they are annual or perennial, that have similar light and water requirements and you will be rewarded with all your plants thriving and growing well.

There are several ways to approach the overall design of your basket. The first is very straightforward and simple: Pick one plant species and either choose your favorite color or a range of two to three colors, such as petunia, ivy geranium, or trailing fuchsia. This can be a great design option as a simpler basket may be the perfect complement to a busy garden bed. On the other hand, if your nearby garden and garden beds are quiet (color-wise), a large basket with lots of colors and differing foliage shapes will be just the ticket! There are so many varieties of plants with color and foliage, your options are almost limitless.

Another way to look at designing with plants for your basket is to break

7. Sword fern, purple heuchera, asparagus fern, and ivy

them down into three design elements. These categories are thrillers, fillers, and spillers. There can be lots of design advantages to choosing plants that are similar in leaf and flower shape as they are easy on the eye. However, baskets with plants that differ in color and texture can add real excitement to your overall display.

Thrillers are upright plants that add height and an interesting vertical element to your overall design. Thrillers can be flowering, such as zonal geraniums, or strictly foliage, such as grasses, Dracaena, or upright ferns. Place your fill in the center of the basket if it is to be viewed from all sides, or place it in the back if it is to be viewed from only one direction.

Fillers tend to be more rounded, or mounding plants and give your basket a nice, full look. These plants are placed either in front of or around the thriller variety. Fillers are generally placed in the basket midway between the thriller and the basket’s edge. Some examples of fillers are Diamond Frost euphorbia, calibrachoa, mounding petunias, and heucheras.

Spillers are, obviously, the opposite of your thriller. They are your trailing plants and can add length and interest to your overall design. Place these plants around the edge of your basket for the best effect. Spillers also work if planting the sides of a moss or coconut choir basket. Examples of spillers are Supertunias, sweet potato vine, Dichondra silver falls, or trailing begonias.

8. Cherry Tomatoes

Another fun idea is to use your basket to grow food! Try strawberries, or a mix of cherry tomatoes for a fun, and delicious, alternative to flowers.

Caring for your basket:

Now that you have your basket planted and hung it is time to take care of it. Watering will be key, of course. If your basket is in the sun, you may need to water it every day by the end of the season. However, if it is in the shade, a watering schedule of every two to three days may be sufficient. Fertilizer will also be important as the roots of your plants cannot reach out in search of additional nutrients. A simple all-purpose 20-20-20 fertilizer can work well for most basket needs. Follow the instructions on the package for the best results. As an alternative to using a full-strength fertilizer solution every other week, I have found that using a half-strength or quarter-strength solution with every watering can also be effective. Just be careful not to over-fertilize. More is not always better!

Now it is time to sit back and enjoy. With a little thought, patience, and care, your hanging basket should bring beauty and enjoyment all season long.