DIY Hanging Basket Plant for Shade
Today I'm showing you the Hanging Basket Plants that I created for a shady area on my deck. You only need three types of plants to create this stunning and wow-worthy arrangement.
DIY Hanging Basket Plant for Shade
This post was a happy accident. Last year, I found these beautiful shade loving hanging basket plants at one of my favorite local greenhouses. I purchased three to hang on my deck and was so pleased with how they filled out throughout the summer. Here is how they looked at their peak:
(To be honest, I totally forgot to snap some dedicated photos of them at their best. These photos were of the screen doors I had installed last year and my hanging baskets just happened to make it into the photos.) And here is another picture of them earlier in the season:
It turned out to be a really striking combination. Even my mom wanted to buy a few for her house. However, when I went to buy them again this year, the greenhouse didn't recreate this combination. Whomp! Initially, I was totally bummed out. However, I took this opportunity to just plant them up myself. While I wouldn't get that initial impact of an already planted and filled out hanging basket, I would still get the combination I loved; plus it would be fun to watch them grow throughout the summer months. As an added bonus, I get to share the process with you! Let me walk you through it.
How to Create a Hanging Basket Plant for Shade:
Let's start with a materials list. Here's what you will need: - Plants: 1 large Streptocarpella* 3 (3-inch pots) Vinca Vine (Vinca Major) 3 (4-inch pots) Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia Nummularia) *I used a 10-inch hanging basket. If you can't find one planted this way, I'd say you need about three or four 4-inch pots) - Potting mix: Any will do. I like this moisture control potting mix from Miracle-Gro. - Slow Release Fertilizer: I'm using this variety HERE. This is optional. I haven't used this in the past, but I plan to use it in all of my container plantings this year to see if it makes a difference. - Hanging Basket: I found the one I'm using HERE. I love it! The texture is great and the 18" diameter is a bit larger than your normal hanging basket size. They do have some smaller ones HERE. I bought some of these for my ferns. - Other: a garden trowel, gardening gloves, and watering can (I've linked my favorites. You can also find more of my gardening essentials in the garden section of my Amazon Storefront.)
Planting a Shade-Loving Hanging Basket:
With all of our supplies in hand, let's plant! Start by creating some drainage holes in your hanging basket. This one is lined with plastic, so I poked a few holes in it with a knife so that the basket could easily drain. (Your particular basket may not be lined with plastic. Just be sure to check for proper drainage before planting.)
Next, fill your hanging basket with your potting soil. I do about 3/4 of the way full and then top it off once my plants are in place. You'll also want to mix in your slow release fertilizer now. (I'm using this one.) Use the recommended amount based on your particular fertilizer. For mine, I did two scoops per basket.
After that, I planted three of my Creeping Jenny. One at 2 o'clock, one at 6 o'clock, and one at 10 o'clock. One at 12 o'clock, one at 4 o'clock, and one at 8 o'clock.
With all of my plants in place I filled in with potting soil, packed everything in nicely, and then gave them a good watering. After that, they were ready to hang! I love these particular hanging basket planters as they come with a chain for hanging. It ended up being the perfect height for my particular location.
All that's left to do is watch them grow. I also highly recommend watering with a water soluble fertilizer (like this one) once a week. In fact, I water all of my outdoor flowering containers with fertilizer once a week. I typically do it on Monday and call the process Miracle-Gro Monday. It's a nice reminder every week. I know that my hanging basket plants don't look like much now, but here's how I'm hoping they will look in the coming weeks:
I'll be sure to update you on the progress of my Shade-Loving Hanging Baskets here on the blog. You can also follow me on Instagram if you want to see their progress there as well. I hope this tutorial was helpful for anyone out there looking for a dynamic shade-loving hanging basket plant idea. Happy Gardening, friends!
Looking for more more of my gardening ideas? Check out these posts:
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