Focus on Rusheen N.S

Creative Hanging Baskets for your Home & Patio. 

Favourite part of my day is without  question it is planting up and creating hanging baskets and containers for our customers. The fragrance and Colour in the garden centre on the sunny days this week brings joy to all our staff and customer.  Here are a few top tips to creating and maintaing your summer baskets, window boxes  and pots.
Create a container/ basket to suit your colours, style and environment. 

Mediterran Basket/ PotIf you want to be transported to the Amalfi coast,  Grow a lemon tree or olive tree in a pot, Surround your self with Trailing Geraniumsand vibrant coloured pots and containers. If your baskets are located in a Sunny windy position or maybe difficult to water,  then Ivy  geraniums will thrive the best for you. Geraniums give a magical blast of colour and dont require as much watering as other summer plants. Ivy Geraniums  require so little maintenance. Don't forget the rule of Gardening , Always Plant in odd numbers in a basket . 

County Pride.

Support your county with a basket overflowing with a mixture of reds and whites. The rich velvet verbena, red Surfinia mixed with a white verbena, bacopa and the fragrant Lobulaira princess will create a proud basket

Shade Loving Basket/ Pot

Begonias & Fuchsia will brighten up that corner for you. Both of these have been the best performers over the last few years as they dont mind a cloudy summer. Often with plants like begonias, A basket filled with just begonias can be a real show stopper. 

A Wow Basket 

When A customers request summer baskets bursting with colour for a sunny position,  Its Surfinia baskets mixed with white bacopa, vibrant verbenas  and bursts of yellow biden flowers that will tick all the boxes. The bright colours  and quality of Cork Grown Surfinias that  are the Base to all these baskets. I love the Double headed Surfinias for very large baskets but these need to be dead headed reguarly. If you are not a fan of dead heading, The Million bells and Nemesias would suit you. 

Bee Friendly plants for pots and baskets : Fuchsia, Verbena, Bidens, Nepeta . 

Stay away form Double headed surfinina as the Bees find it difficult to climb into. 

Planting your basket 

Does your basket suit your bracket, I would recommend a 16inch bracket for 14 inch Basket. 

Make sure you basket has good chains and liner. Fill the baskets & pots with Grosure container and hanging basket compost. When planting a basket always tilt your plants and don't plant too deep. Add 3 slow release tablets to your basket. 

Aftercare of your Baskets

Basket provide a great source of colour and vibrance all Summer but you need to give them appropriate care:

• Check for water requirements. If it has become dry water thoroughly. If it is still damp refrain from watering.

Sometimes the weight of the basket is a good guideline.

Sometimes you have to water a number of times before the compost soaks up enough moisture so we suggest you water each basketor container and repeat a few minutes later. Touch the compost with your hand and if it is nice and moist you have done the job well!

•Your Baskets and Pots will have some slow release feed but it is a good idea to add some more throughout the Summer. Liquid feed with Tomato Food is also highly recommended (make sure to follow instructions)

• Dead-head when required.• It may be necessary to rotate your basket on it’s bracket to get a nice even display of flowers.