September 28, 2007, Newsletter Issue #179: How To Plant

Tip of the Week

Here is the basic method and some suitable plants which have proven reliable for me. Colour choice is a matter of personal taste. Soft pastels, contrasting colours, single coloured baskets or wild hot clashing mixes , the choice is yours!
(1) Sit the empty basket on a large pot for stability, place in your chosen liner and half fill with the potting compost.
(2) Push 3 "quality" plants in a triangular formation through the holes in the middle layer of the liner. Suitable plants for this are (Choose 3 only!): Chlorophytum, Asparagus sprengeri, Nepeta , Tradescantia, Bidens, Diascia , Helichrysum petiolare, Bacopa, Lotus and Laurentia
(3) Fill all the other pre-formed spaces with annuals such as : Trailing Lobelia, Dwarf Violas (E.g. Princess )& Impatiens.
(4) Top up the basket with more compost.
(5) Plant a single tall bushy plant in the centre. Good plants to use are Pelargonium, Agryanthemum, Osteospermum, or a bush Fuchsia.
(6) Around the centre plant three medium annuals such as Petunias in a triangular formation
(7) Just in front of the medium annuals and in the spaces in-between, plant three small annuals such as French Marigolds or Begonia semperflorens.
(8) Plant 3 trailing flowering plants on their sides, (To encourage trailing), at the outer edge of the basket. Suitable plants include Surfinia Petunias, Bidens, Helichrysum, Trailing verbena, Ivy leaf geranium Trailing fuchsia, trailing begonia. A lovely effect is gained by choosing 3 different plants. Surfinias, Bidens and Helichrysum are rampant and may swamp the weaker growers, but will happily compete with each other!

(9) Planting is complete! Water well and stand the basket on its pot in a shady part of the garden for a week or so before hanging up.

About LifeTips

Now one of the top on-line publishers in the world, LifeTips offers tips to millions of monthly visitors. Our mission mission is to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Expert writers earn dough for what they know. And exclusive sponsors in each niche topic help us make-it-all happen.