Hanging out with nature

Want some vibrant green in your home? A Dyuti proposes basket gardens to give your home a lively look while inviting nature into it.

Feel your outdoor space is too drab? Then, liven it up with basket gardening! Not only does it look lovely, it also allows you to move your plants about easily.

You can ferry them indoors too for a party and then return them to their original abode!

Hanging baskets are ideal when you don’t have substantial space for a sprawling garden. Of course, they can also ably supplement the terrestrial beauties where you do have the space.

Style factor

Wondering how they look? There are different varieties. Baskets made of metal strips or designs accommodate a clay/terracotta pot within, that actually harbours the plant.

There are baskets of terracotta and plastic too that directly hold the plant. You could go for either ornate ones or the plain Jane types.

So, where could you hang these? Along the edge of the portico ceiling, porch, balcony, any outdoor structure or even from a lamp-post.

Attach hooks and brackets to your baskets and the range of hanging-spots will multiply magically! You could also erect a ceiling-to-floor decorative pole with hooks to hang multiple baskets all along.

Choosing right

The common trick is to plant one or two little, erect plants in the centre and vines or creepers all around them. Flower-bearing trailing plants are most charming when used this way. You can grow ferns, herbs and vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers too in hanging baskets!

Hardy perennials and plants which don’t require daily watering like desert plants and begonias are ideal for those who demand minimum maintenance effort. Usually, hanging pots are designed to accommodate spreading plants or creepers rather than ones which grow very tall.

Plus, your plant should be suited to the natural conditions the spot offers – the amount of sunlight and shade, shelter from the elements and so on.

Coleuses are suited for shady spots, for instance. If location is a constraint, pick plants that suit the spot. If plant variety is your guiding factor, then select hanging-spots that are appropriate for their healthy growth.

Choose the right basket depending on the location of the spot. How much weight the hanging-spot can hold? How much sunlight does it afford? These are two important considerations. Your choice also depends on the type of plant you’ll grow.

Say, a tall plant will require a hanging basket with a larger gap between the hook and the pot. If it’s a plant that tends to spread out, make sure you’ve selected a pot that’s broad enough.

Avoid baskets which provide for a direct outflow of water from the bottom onto the concrete/ornate floor below. Look for pots with drainage pans attached to the bottom.

Take care of certain aspects. If your basket drips when watered, insert a plastic sheet between the wires and the soil.

Make sure the basket is not too fragile and can be firmly fixed to the desired spot.

Remember, the basket’s weight will increase once you water the soil.

So, select a spot that’ll hold this weight and fix it firmly. Fill the basket with good quality soil and one whose ph balance suits the plant you’ve selected for it.

As for fertiliser, going for a slow-release one ensures you don’t have to apply it very frequently. Otherwise, add a liquid feed once every week, fortnight or month.