Basket planting made easy!

With summer around the corner and rain being the inevitable, there are ways of keeping your favourite and most expensive plants or herbs safe to avoid being soaked by heavy rains or drying out from the heat during this coming season.

Hanging baskets are one way to ensure expensive flowers are maintained and kept safe and also makes a dull area look pretty and bright.

So how do we go about planting correctly in a basket? Granny Mouse Country House and Spa’s Gardens Manager, Mark Robson, known as “Smiley” to the Team, gives a few tips on making your baskets bloom.

Lining hanging baskets is essential. He says, “Traditional hanging baskets require you to line them with a sheet plastic that has a few holes here and there to allow for drainage as well as hold in your potting soil.”

Secondly, he mentions that you would need get the correct plants ready for basket planting. It is best to use plants or herbs that have an overflowing effect – ones that spill over the basket. Also try not to overload the basket or put incompatible species in the same basket, as this would mean more attention is needed for maintenance.

“The best flowers to plant in a basket include Impatiens, Begonia, Fuchsia, Petunia, Pansy, Periwinkle, Parsley, and Thyme to mention a few,” he adds.

In order to maintain any blooming hanging basket, trimming, watering and fertilizing is needed. During the Summer months, soil tends to dry out and when watered often, nutrients are lost, which is then gained by the fertilizer.

Once all your flowers and herbs are planted, hang your basket on a sturdy hook or stand and enjoy the beauty!