Annual Hanging Basket 1

I work in the Garden Center of a big box store and often get questions about hanging baskets. Customers want to know how many plants should be planted and what kinds. I decided to do my own test and built an annual basket. First thing to consider is the amount of light? The annual basket lives on Andrew’s porch, which is covered with an opaque corrugated plastic roof. There is a lot of filtered light.

I live in Portland, OR USDA zone 8, and chose a mixture of annuals, some which need shade and some which need sun, to see how they would perform. I planted a coleus as the centerpiece or thriller; a shade plant, to give the basket height. I used two lobelia and an alyssum, both sun-loving plants, to give the basket trailing color or spillers. I used three impatiens, shade plants, as fillers. I planted all seven plants in the basket on May 17^th.

Here it is on June 9^th. Twenty-three days later.

Here it is on June 29^th. Forty-three days later.

The basket is doing well and looks full. I may not of needed so many plants to start, accept to help create a fuller look in the beginning, four plants may have been enough. The shade loving coleus is doing well; I have had to deadhead its blooms to keep the leaves full. I’ve also deadheaded the alyssum, which may be why it is so full. The porch is always about five degrees warmer.

It was about 87 degrees when this picture was taken and about 92 degrees under the porch.

I will check again later in the season to see how this basket is performing; especially as the weather turns hotter.