Hanging plants add interest, color, and balance wherever they are hung. Several hanging plants evenly spaced outside on a deck or porch, or hanging from an iron or wooden structure, can add a wonderfully decorative touch. An ideal indoor spot is in front of a window or in a sunny corner. Humidity-loving plants, such as ferns, add color and elegance to bathrooms.
Choosing containers
Selecting the right plants and containers for the particular area you’re going to decorate is the starting point. If you choose an indoor spot, use a container to blend with the decor. It is desirable to have a container with holes in the bottom, but be sure that the pot has a drip cover. To provide the proper drainage, place some gravel or stones in the bottom and fill the pot with a light potting soil. If you choose a ceramic container with no drain holes, fill the bottom of the pot with gravel and use a plastic pot to fit inside it. Five or six small plants for an eight-inch container will provide a full center arrangement. They should be watered and fertilized regularly.
Gardening Tips: Blooming Baskets
To create a hanging basket for an outside area, use a wire frame as a base. Line the frame with sphagnum moss, and fill with a light potting soil mixture. If a fuller basket is desired, use a layer of plastic (cut from a black or dark green trash bag) next to the wire frame. Place small plants in the center, and work the roots of several more around the outside in the sphagnum moss, poking holes in the plastic. Keep it well moistened for a few days. This should also be watered and fertilized regularly.
Selecting plants
Select plants that fit your particular sun or shade environment. Ferns, spider plants, Swedish ivy, vinca vine, philodendron, and English ivy are all foliage plants suitable for hanging planters, and can thrive in sun to shade. Add color with pansies and impatiens, which will grow in partly sunny areas, as well as petunias, geraniums, and begonias for sunny spots. A combination of foliage plants and flowering plants make an especially attractive hanging arrangement.
Hanging how-tos
To hang your planter, there is a wide variety of hooks readily available at garden shops and discount stores. For smaller (and lighter) containers, a simple cup hook can be screwed into a wood surface. Avoid rust by using coated hooks for hanging plants outside.
For heavier containers, macrame hangers are a good choice for added support. Look for ones with both a toggle bolt for mounting in a drywall ceiling, and a heavy-duty screw suitable for attaching to the underlying structural wood. In addition, there are many varieties of brackets for wall mounting. Snap-on swivels from fishing tackle stores can be used to provide an easy means of rotating your hanging plants to ensure even exposure to light and consistent growth.
A unique arrangement
Make a unique and inexpensive hanging arrangement that appears to grow out of nowhere. Use two medium-sized heavy-duty plastic trash bags. Place one bag inside the other for extra strength and fill halfway with a mixture of sphagnum moss, peat moss, and light potting soil. Water lightly and tie the top closed in a knot. Fasten this to a wooden post using two large nails driven just below the knotted area. Carefully make holes in the plastic and place small plants through the holes into the soil mixture.
Pad each hole around the plant with damp sphagnum moss. Use several plants and flowers, and after a few weeks in the right spot, the plants will cover the plastic bag, making a most attractive hanging garden. Herbs, such as thyme, oregano, parsley, or lavender, would be especially nice in this arrangement. No matter which plant varieties you choose, they should be watered and fertilized regularly.
The choices are endless. Let your imagination be your guide in creating beautiful hanging arrangements to enhance your decor, both indoors and outdoors.
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