Sunday, May 2, 2010

Hanging Plants

We give and receive them as gifts for Mother’s Day, teacher’s gifts, thank-you gifts, and summer birthdays. But what’s the point in buying ready-made ones when they’re terribly easy to do yourself? Planting yourself allows you to add a personal touch by choosing the plants and the colors.

When we moved in the previous owners left three (dead) hanging potted plants on the front porch. How kind! I decided something needed to be done with the eyesore. Instead of buying new hanging pots, I opted to reuse the ones left behind.

To start, I emptied the old plants, scrubbed the inside of the pots with a coarse brush, and rinsed with a hose. I then filled the pots half-way with potting soil, carefully placed the plants, and filled in around the plants with more potting soil.

Things to consider when choosing your plants:

Oh How much sunlight will your pots be exposed to? Our hanging plants are located under the roof, so they never receive direct sunlight. I chose two shade and one partial sun plant.

Th What are the plant spacing requirements and how big are your pots? Knowing this will help you determine how many plants to put in each pot. For the asparagus fern and other non-flowering plant (I forget its name), I put 3 plants in each pot. For the impatiens, I could fit 2 small palettes (12 plants) in the pot.

Ch What's the "look" you want to achieve? Choose ferns for a fuller, cascading look. For just a splash of color, pick up some inexpensive annuals (impatiens, marigolds).

I’m more or less new to gardening so any tips are welcome! Here are some pictures of our hanging plants:



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