Hanging Flower Mangers.....

I would just like to know who changed all the clocks in our house to go quicker? Somehow every day seems to fly by faster and faster?

Its such a struggle to cram everything in, but today I did manage a big tick on my list. Finally I got to purchase the plants for my hanging baskets....well, hanging mangers to be precise.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned my silver soft top before...that's what my OH bought for me a while back, he told me to go into the garage to see my present..a silver soft top...you can imagine how quickly I ran to the garage and my delight to find a wheel barrow there instead of a shiny new sports car!

What a great way to spend a few hours today....totally engrossed in nature.

The mangers plus the liners were purchased a while back in the UK and came to join us in our freight.

Here's how I plant them up.....

1. Because of the difficult shape and the balancing act that's needed, I always prop them up on a plant pot to secure whilst planting. I've learnt this lesson over many years of the mangers tipping and then annoyingly losing the compost, plants and fingers!  

2. Now here's the secret that will necessitate in me killing you once I tell you.....

The main problem with hanging baskets is that they dry out and its quite a challenge to keep them moist enough throughout the summer months....especially here in Oz.

I think that's one reason why they aren't as popular as they could be. Especially with recent years and the water restrictions that are in place. So to combat this, once the outer lining is in place next spread out inside a large bin liner. The strong black refuse type. This will retain the moisture.

3. Then pour in a small amount of  compost initially....

And now on to the nice part....planting the plants.

4. I have seen so many hanging baskets here, that only have the plants spouting out of the top of the basket.

This just doesn't do the holder justice. There's so much more area that can maximise the impact if its used.

I tend to start near the bottom and equally distribute the plants around. Mixing the varieties as I go.

5. You will need to cut through the liner and the bin bag but only a little snip will suffice. Then comes the tricky part. You can go from the inside out through the hole or vice-versa...either the roots through from the outside or the leaves being pushed out from the inside. Confused......? It's difficult to describe sorry. You will need to be very careful not to crush/damage the delicate new shoots.

6. At this stage as you go along you should add more compost to cover the roots. After every level of plants add more compost.

7. Once all the sides have plants in place and the compost is up to the top I tend to place 3 larger plants in the centre that will give height with the trailing ones around the outside and down the front.

Here I have a Begonia in the centre with two Fuchsia's either side. Then Ivy added at the far ends of each side balances everything. There's also Geraniums, Petunias, Nasturtiums, and Lobelia to name but a few.

As usual I had my advisor on hand to keep me straight.....

I'll follow up with photo's of their progress and development as they settle in....