Outdoor folks enjoy celebrating nature in our yards and afield. Bringing beauty to our porches, decks, yards, and gardens is fun and beautiful.
Now is when you can go all out and build your own sanctuary. Our growing season begins around the middle of June. It will last until the first week of September. Frost will decide the exact dates.
Hanging baskets are a great way to decorate your outdoor spaces. You can add hooks to perglos, or erect 4×4 poles and attach hanging brackets to them. There is also room to hang plants under porches and rainspouts. Here are some ideas to make your spaces attractive but with minimal cost and labor.
Hanging plants have become pricey! Our local greenhouses build some baskets that cost over $100. It used to be you could buy or make a basic hanging pot 2 for $10. Not anymore. The average hanging basket seems to cost well over $20.
Know your sunlight. Full sun will fry just about anything that you hang there. Montana’s longest, and strongest sunny time, is mid-June. Mixed light is best. Also read the plant labels to make sure that the shady plants get the shade they need.
Heavy baskets will break. The sun, wind, and weather weaken plastic pots and hangers. As the pots sway, they will eventually crash onto the ground. Armor All on plastic pots will protect them. Storing them indoors over the winter helps too.
I scavenge for my hanging baskets. Each year people put them into their trash, or they end up in a ditch. After being rescued, they can be re-used.
Purchase plants in bulk. Pick your favorite colors and styles. As the season moves on, plants become cheaper. Some plants, like Merigolds, produce seeds that are easily started each season.
Petunias, Inpatients, Gerber daisies, pansies, strawberries, and other favorites are available. I begin my plantings early in May. If a cool night, under 40 degrees occurs, simply move your potted plants into the house or under shelter. If you leave them out in the cold they can freeze.
For an 8 inch- 10-inch pot, I use at least 6 different rooted plants. Plant them in the center of the pot. Before I add dirt to the pot, I place Styrofoam pieces into the bottom. A 2-3 inch layer will take up space, allow drainage, and decrease weight. Potting soil is best. You can store the used soil in a trash can or recycle it into outdoor gardens, Cover the surface of the planted pot with bark mulch, to help keep moisture on the soil.
You may need to water daily. I have several milk jugs that I fill with rainwater from a nearby rain barrel. This water is clean and free.
Make sure that your hangers are anchored securely. A longer screw, with a flat head, will hold them secure.
Apply liquid plant fertilizer every 3 weeks to keep the plants blooming and healthy. I add a couple of scoops to a milk jug, add water, and mix.
Pick off the deadheads. When I am checking my plants, I remove any dead flowers. This will promote new blooms.
Keeping you plants happy will ensure that a beautiful and green summertime. Many hanging plants can also be brought indoors, after the weather gets cold. Now you can stretch out your plant season even more.Plant some beauty into your living spaces.
Montana Grant
