It’s a great time of year to start making hanging baskets.

 

Suitable flowers for hanging baskets include alyssums, lobelias, dwarf nasturtiums and begonias, fuchsias, and pelargoniums.

 

Read this step-by-step guide on how to construct them. 

Start by laying a circle of polythene at the base.

 

Cut small holes in the liner above the base to allow for water drainage.

 

Then fill the basket to that level with compost but don't squash the compost down.

 

Make pits where you'd like to place your plants, and think about the colours and sizes of the flowers when deciding.

 

Carefully take your chosen plants out of their original pots, leave the original compost attached so that the roots don't break.

 

Then place the plants into the pits.

Secure the plants in with surrounding compost.

 

Take it inside for a couple of weeks so that the roots can secure themselves properly before being hung outside. Give the basket a water and keep in a bucket so that the water can drain out.

 

Remember to water your hanging basket regularly. Summer baskets appreciate a weekly feed with liquid fertiliser.

 

At the end of the season, tip the basket onto the compost heap. Some hardy plants such as ivies can be re-planted in the garden.