That time is upon us once again. The fear of a late frost has pretty much past and our gardens should now be buzzing with insect looking for tender flowering plants to settle on. Hanging basket season is here!
Some gardening purists out there may feel that hanging baskets tend to be nothing more than gordy and artificial attempts to bring colour harmonisation to our dwellings and that they optimise an age of the ‘have-a-go-gardener’. Well I say good on the ‘have-a-go-gardener’! I would love to see every man, woman, child and their dog get more involved in the garden and start adding a little colour to a increasingly stressful and worry-filled age.
Scientific study has shown that nectar feeding insects including bees will feed on any flower providing it provides nectar; our lovely indiginous flowering plants, as important as they are, aren’t the ‘bee-all’ and end all after all!
In addition to this, studies in America have shown that trees and flowers have a calming affect on humans, decrease the instances of crime and can even slow down rushing motorists.
Hanging basket survival
Now that I have said my bit as an evangelist of the gardeners gospel, I would like to give just one simple (painfully simple) piece of advice. Don’t forget to water your hanging baskets. Okay, you might think that this is obvious and goes without saying, but you would be amazed by the amount of wilting, straw-like ‘hangings’ I seen during this dry spell of late.
It is a huge mistake to take on the attitude – “If it wilts, then I water it”. Once any plant gets in this state, damage has been done and the flowering/growing/fruiting potential of that plant will decrease and continue to decrease every time you hold back on watering.
Personally, I have now ritualised this process, habitually watering every basket thoroughly in the morning before a hard days work – a part of my ‘breakfast effort’. I don’t know about you, but I quite like setting and keeping to such a routine; it will result in not only a little nugget of satisfaction in knowing that I have stuck to something without wavering, but also I will get a lovely display at the front and back of my humble abode.
Also, while we are on the subject of hanging basket care, don’t forget to feed your plants. With many flowers crammed into a small amount of compost, the root space will be limited so compensate with regular feeding. Speak to somebone at your local garden centre for a list of good products…please keep it organic!