Thinking of a spring garden doesn’t normally make a person look up but a perfect addition to any garden is a hanging basket full of flowers. Hanging planters are good for any garden big or small. They can be hung overtop of the garden on a stake, by a door or on an apartment balcony.
“Hanging planters have such a visual impact. They are really good for people with small spaces and they are relatively easy to care for. Most come pre-fertilized as well,” said Jody Fowler, co-owner of PJ’s Plantation, located just outside of Ponoka in Tees.
Jody owns PJ’s with her husband Peter, hence the name PJ’s, for the last seven years. Jody took horticulture training at Olds College and has worked with plants for years.
She says that hanging plants are very popular and people love to have them. Hanging plants are also a great addition to any garden because there is such a variety to what you can grow including sun and shade flowers, fruits and vegetables.
When buying a hanging planter Jody offers a few easy tips to look for; the first and most important is to look to make sure that the basket has a good drainage system, it is also good to check with the greenhouse where you purchase your planter to see how they care and water it. She notes that some people have a tendency to over water the plants; the best way to check if they have sufficient water is wait until water dribbles out of the bottom. Another important tip when purchasing is to do a visual check of the plant itself, check the leaves to make sure they look healthy with no yellow spots or insects. The plant shouldn’t look overgrown or too tight inside the basket because there should be room to grow in the basket.
Jody thinks that petunias are the most popular because they perform so well.
“Supertunias are a patented brand and they are self cleaning. They will naturally fall off. They are good for people who don’t like to deadhead flowers,” she said.
Another type of petunias is the shockwave family, which are new, smaller and very heavy blooming. They come in three different types including the easy wave, tidal wave and the wave.
Another popular type of hanging planter flower is the Million Bells or Super bell. They are a petite blooming flower but they perform very well.
“They make a beautiful ball of colour and they almost out bloom the leaves and they are quite gorgeous,” said Jody.
She says that strawberry baskets can have two great purposes. They have a very visual and ornamental effect with beautiful pink and white flowers and they also produce a delicious treat.
Planters are a great way to add some depth to any garden. They are simple, bright, offer a wide array of flowers and tend to just hang around.