When do you do your hanging baskets?

[cheeseandpicklesandie]

We did our front & back baskets today. I'd ordered the baskets a while back and they finally arrived, so went to to the garden centre yesterday. I know it's still cold and there's a risk of frost here until May according to frost checker ( SE) . It's just my mum said I've got a bit ahead of myself she very critical of everything. Lots of people were doing borders and baskets over Easter. When do you do yours ?

Not until Late May. We had snow last night (Scotland).

i've done mine....couldnt resist. I work in a garden centre anyway so bought some early trailing plants, they got bought early and we always run out

the frost has not really done any damage as i just have them in one place and will fleece them if frost is due

not hung them up in situ yet

get not got!!!

Brrr ❄️ just seems so bare. Baskets are off the ground so assume not so cold, maybe borders more risky to plant now ? I'm growing some seeds indoors so will will fill in next month with those.

I've take a radical approach this year and planted my baskets with trailing sedums that had got pot bound over the winter. I saw the idea in a nursery and thought it looked an ideal, low maintenance option. My baskets always dried out as we are south facing and sunny so I have high hopes

Mine done cos on covered balcony in London, hotter than rest of UK generally.

Sweet pea seeds planted too. Last year’s geraniums and fuchsia have already exploded into pink cheer.

@Kissthepastrychef I have succulents and sedums in my hanging baskets, they aren't the most luscious examples of horticulture but they grow every spring and summer and survive over winter, and I very very rarely water them! I don't like the idea of buying bedding plants every year, its pretty expensive and wasteful of resources put into things that will only last a few months, costing energy, transport, water and materials.

[quote MrsJamin]@Kissthepastrychef I have succulents and sedums in my hanging baskets, they aren't the most luscious examples of horticulture but they grow every spring and summer and survive over winter, and I very very rarely water them! I don't like the idea of buying bedding plants every year, its pretty expensive and wasteful of resources put into things that will only last a few months, costing energy, transport, water and materials.[/quote]
I grow ice plants in mine namely Delosperma cooperi. They are easy to care for, look great all summer and are so easy to take cuttings from that I now have multiple plants plus spares I give away each year.
I am on the south coast and with our summers getting warmer hanging baskets full of bedding is just endless watering and still ending up with burnt plants that don’t look their best.

@Proudboomer what a fab idea - any chance you could show us a picture? What do they look like the rest of the year?

Don’t have any of the hanging baskets but do have some of the ice plants with my succulent collection and in flower.
In another you can see the ice plants in a container early in the season and they are getting their annual feed before going up for the season.

@Proudboomer absolutely stunning. Thank you for sharing. Do you take the baskets down over winter?

I did mine about 3 weeks ago along with two tubs by the front door with winter pansies. We've had some light frosts since.

I think in a month or so if they're on their way out I will try some more summer bedding. I was going to wait but I really wanted some cheerfulness on the front of the house. They're doing very well.

It's far too cold here for summer bedding plants just now. It is currently -3.

I always leave it until late May.

No I leave them until late spring then take down feed and take cuttings to grow for the year. I then sit them in a bowl of water for about a week before rehanging.
I must remember to take some photos this year as they do look amazing and with the hotter summers and living on the south coast they are ideal.

I really like succulents and think they are under used in the garden.
They are amazing plants that look great in most situations.

On a side note all the purple ice plants are descended from a small cutting my mother took on holiday in Majorca over 40 years ago. When I left home over 30 years ago a small cutting came with me and has moved through numerous homes since then. It is the equivalent of a gardening family heirloom😀

Much too cold for bedding plants at the moment. Having said that some nurseries have supply issues this year and I think more people will want them so if there’s anyway they can be kept frost free i would be getting them.

Proudboomer what a great idea and I love that they are a family heirloom ! Am also south coast and think they will be lovely for my pots so plant shopping calls me 😀

It is the equivalent of a gardening family heirloom

That's brilliant @Proudboomer. The chives in my garden originally came from my mum's garden. She died over 30 years ago.

It's way too cold yet for summer bedding plants but my winter hanging baskets are still going strong atm anyway.
It's usually ok sometime in May. If you leave it until late May though there's never much left.

Did mine 2 weeks ago.

@Proudboomer I live in Hastings and there are loads of houses with ice plants in their gardens. One has a big bank covered in them, it looks wonderful when they are in flower.
I'm so going to get myself a few cuttings, they grow wild here

It's snowed this morning in the south east.. darn !

Last year I had a very sheltered greehouse so I bought plug plants and brought them all on - but didn't go out till May.

This year - I'm trying not to buy bedding. I've got on order in for sufinia because I love that in a hanging basket. But i've overwintered begonia corms for the other baskets.

begonia glowing embers. Worked really well last year.