Where To Place Outdoor Hanging Plants
Perhaps you love the look of plants trailing fragrant blossoms out of a planter, but you can't figure out where to put outdoor hanging plants on your small patio. Or, perhaps you have old hanging baskets in your garden shed but you don't know how to incorporate them into your new landscaping design. In either situation, it's time to roll up your sleeves and get busy. Hanging plants can add color to your patio, garden or walkway. You can hide items in your yard that you don't quite love, or draw the eye to things that fill you with pride. Hanging baskets can also add height to new landscaping plans with tender, short plants. The ultimate bonus? If you don't like where the plant is located, you can just move it at any time.
Hanging baskets can be quite heavy, and they may grow yet heavier when the soil they hold is wet or the plants grow and develop heavy blossoms. Before you choose a permanent spot for your hanging basket, make sure that spot can hold the weight without breaking. This is particularly important if you're planning to hang your plants on a living item, such as a tree. It would be totally depressing to break off a limb in your search for beauty. One last safety tip: Avoid hanging your plants in walkways. Guests who smack their foreheads on your pots aren't likely to sing your praises. Keep your plants on the periphery, where they're unlikely to cause anyone any harm.
Patios and decks are natural homes for hanging baskets. Group several baskets together in a row and suspend them from the edge of the ceiling of your patio. You'll screen yourself in with flowers and provide a beautiful backdrop for patio dinners. If the sun tends to penetrate throughout your patio, consider hanging baskets that mount directly to the wall. Spider plants and trailing ivy look spectacular in these baskets, and they won't take over your landscaping when confined to these pots.
If your yard is home to many tall trees with high canopies, consider hanging baskets on those low branches. You'll be suspending color at eye level, and the birds and bees will flock to your yard. Fill with subtle flowers like pansies or snapdragons. Or if slugs and snails always eat your strawberries before you have a chance to harvest, place a few strawberry plants in your baskets. Your fruit will be protected, and you'll have a lovely plant to bring you cheer throughout the summer. Consider buying several garden stakes for your hanging plants. These curved stakes, available at most garden stores, allow you to string hanging baskets wherever you'd like to. Line the walk from your back door to your hot tub with baskets filled with fragrant verbena and lavender for a refreshing treat. Wherever you hang your planters, make sure a water source is nearby. Hanging baskets often dry out incredibly rapidly, and you may need to provide water several times per day to keep the plants from wilting when the weather is hot.
