by Catherine Lear

Created on: July 19, 2009

Hanging baskets have been around for years they enhance any garden be it small or large. They are easy to make and even a complete novice to gardening will with a little bit of help become an expert in making them.

You will need the following items.

Plastic, or wire hanging basket.

Good compost.

Flowers.

Moss.

Water gel.

You can buy the hanging baskets from any good garden centre, the traditional method of making a hanging basket is with the wire variety, but more and more people are now using the plastic type. If you are using the wire type then you will need moss. You will also need a table and a bucket as well, take the hanging basket and fit it on top of the bucket this makes it easy to fill the basket. Take the moss and fit around the inside of the basket, hanging baskets will dry out very fast in the summer months so take a plastic bag and fit around the bottom of the basket and then fill with compost, you can if you wish mix the compost with water gel. Once you have filled the basket with the compost, you are ready to plant the flowers.

You will need small plants that will hang down the basket; trailing geraniums are a good make of plant to put in the sides of a hanging basket. Poke your finger through the moss on the side of basket and fit the small flower plug into the compost, do this all-around the side of the basket at regular intervals, now you are ready to plant the top part of the hanging basket.

Good hanging baskets plant to plant in the top are Busy Lizzie these flower profusely during the summer months and brighten up any outdoor spot. Just plant at least ten Busy Lizzie's in the top of the hanging basket. You are now ready to water, water well and leave to drain, do not under any circumstance leave out till the last of the frost as gone as frost will kill your plants. If you have, a conservatory or a glasshouse put any hanging baskets in them to bring on the flowers. Water on a regular basis and never leave them to dry out.

To hang them out side you will need a hanging basket hook that you fit onto any outside wall, remember that you will have to water them so don't fit them to high, again you can buy these hooks from the garden centre.

However, flowers are not the only plants that you can grow in hanging baskets. Why not try growing cherry tomatoes, just plant three cherry tomato plants in the top and water, and watch them grow. At the end of the summer months, you will be enjoying homegrown tomatoes, and this year for the first time, I have started to grow lettuce in hanging baskets. Grow pick and eat not bad for a girl with no gardening experience.

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