Dos & Don'ts of a Hanging Flower Garden

Plants

• According to Rhonda Ferree, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator, "Plant choices for hanging gardens have exploded in the last few years." Selections for flowering plants can include traditional flowers and also unconventional choices such as hostas, which are usually grown for their foliage although they also have beautiful, tall, flowering scapes. Gardeners should choose plants based on which varieties are suited for growing in their region. Don’t choose plants that require high heat and humidity to grow in cooler or arid climates and vice versa.

Containers

• Containers for hanging gardens are available in as many choices as plants to grow in them. Choose containers that will not place undue weight on balconies or eaves. Don’t forget that water adds considerable weight to containers. Lightweight plastic baskets and pots, wire moss-lined hay racks and pulp terracotta-lookalike containers reduce weight loads. Don’t allow plants to become waterlogged in containers. Ensure drainage holes are provided and remove drip dishes and attached trays so that water drains freely.

Light, Water and Fertilizer

• Proper light exposure can mean the difference between plants that struggle and those that thrive. Place sun-loving plants such as petunias, geraniums and zinnias in full sun. Don’t place shade-loving plants such as impatiens, torenias and hostas in full sun or they’ll suffer burn injuries. Hanging gardens need watering and fertilizing more frequently than landscape plants. Don’t sprinkle containers lightly, but apply water until it drains freely from weep holes. Water wands are good tools for baskets, window boxes and hard-to-reach containers.

Potting Mixes

• Don’t use garden soil in hanging-garden containers. Soilless planting mixes provide excellent drainage, aeration and water-holding capacity that ordinary garden soil cannot supply, according to Clemson Cooperative Extension. Peat moss, vermiculite and perlite are lightweight components of soilless mixes that are excellent for hanging gardens. Consider using water polymer crystals in mixes to retain water and reduce watering needs. Some soilless mixes contain slow-release fertilizers that nourish plants over a growing season. If using these blends, choose one that has fertilizer formulated for the plants you’re growing.