Some Desirable Plants for Hanging Baskets 
By Montague Free, New York. 
THE practice of growing plants in hanging baskets 
otters many possibilities for artistic effects which 
greatly add to the attractiveness of a dwelling. This 
method of growing plants has the additional advantage 
of making it possible to grow plants even if there is 
no space for the garden proper. It seldom happens 
that a house is so constructed that one cannot, with a 
little ingenuity, find a place where a basket containing 
plants can be suspended ; therefore, hanging baskets 
offer special attractions to those who are so unfortunate 
as to be greatly limited in respect to garden space. 
Hanging baskets may be obtained in various styles 
and sizes. Those made of wire are most commonly 
used and are the cheapest, but they possess a disad- 
vantage, on account of the large surface which they 
expose to the air, of requiring unremitting attention 
with regard to watering, if the plants in them are to be 
kept in good condition. Rustic baskets, consisting of 
a wooden bowl having the outside covered with laurel 
roots and baskets made of close weave or open-work 
cane, with metal liners, can be obtained from most 
florists. The last-named are usually cone-shaped, with 
chain hangers, and although they are rather expen- 
sive, their artistic appearance compensates for the 
extra cost. Self-watering "baskets" are constructed 
so as to contain water, which is poured in through 
a tube projecting above the soil level. By using "bas- 
kets" of this character, it is not necessary to water the 
plants so frequently, and the inconvenience of the drip 
of surplus water, which occurs when the ordinary type 
of baskets is used, is avoided. 
One of the most important factors in the successful 
cultivation of plants in baskets is that of soil. Owing 
to the fact that it is usual to grow a number of plants 
in one basket, in order to furnish it satisfactorily, a 
rich soil is required to supply their needs. A mixture 
consisting of one-third well rotted cow manure and 
two-thirds of good garden soil, will suit the majority 
of plants. 
Another important factor is that of light. Of course, 
there are a number of plants suitable for the purpose 
under discussion that will grow well in shade, but the 
majority of flowering plants will only succeed when 
they are exposed to a considerable amount of sun- 
shine. 
Watering must not be neglected. On a hot day, the 
plants rapidly absorb the limited amount of water that 
is available in the soil ; and in addition to this, the 
loss by evaporation is considerable, especially in the 
case of wire baskets, which present such a large sur- 
face from which moisture can evaporate. 
In preparing the wire baskets for planting, it is first 
necessarv to line the basket with something that will 
prevent the soil from spilling out. The best material 
for this purpose is natural sheet moss. The moss 
should be placed with the green side out and the bas- 
ket partly filled with moist soil, which must be com- 
pacted. The plants can now be placed in position in 
such a way that when the soil is filled in around them 
it will be somewhat below the rim of the basket. It 
is better if the surface is made slightly concave, as 
this facilitates watering. Do not forget, when filling 
in, to make the soil firm around the roots of the plants. 
When there are a number of plants to be placed in 
each basket, the trailing plants should be placed in 
position first, around the rim. then some medium-sized 
plants of more or less upright growth, finishing up 
with a tallish plant in the center. It must not be un- 
derstood from this that absolute symmetry is advo- 
cated ; a basket when finished should be somewhat 
irregular in outline and have every plant displayed to 
best advantage. 
The number of plants to be placed in each basket is 
dependent upon the taste of the individual, the size of 
the basket, and the size to which the plants attain. 
A single plant of Petunia will easily furnish one of 
the smaller sizes of baskets, and it is possible to use 
a dozen or more plants of various kinds in the larger 
sizes without giving them the appearance of being- 
overcrowded. 
If, toward the end of the season, the leaves of your 
plants begin to turn yellow, it is usually an indication 
that they have exhausted the available food materials. 
In this case it is advantageous to use one of the com- 
plete fertilizers according to directions on the package. 
If the baskets are required for service in the spring 
months, early flowering plants of a hardy nature must 
be planted. The outer rim of the basket could be 
planted with English Ivy (Hedera Helix), or Trailing 
Myrtle (Vinca) ; these to be used for draping over the 
edge of the baskets. The filling can be made up of 
Pansies, Forget-me-nots or double English Daisies. 
It is, however, during the summer months that the 
best results can be obtained with hanging baskets. 
There is a wealth of material from which to choose, 
and innumerable combinations of plants may be 
adopted. 
The Boston Fern and its varieties, which are mainly 
forms of Nephrolepis exaltata, make excellent basket 
plants for shaded, or partially shaded, situations. They 
must be removed to a conservatory or house before 
cold weather comes in the fall. A well-grown plant 
will easily furnish even the large-sized baskets. 
"Mother of Thousands" (Saxifraga sarmentosa) by 
itself makes a good plant for shady situations. It has 
almost round green leaves, variegated with silvery 
white, the under sides of the leaves being purple. The 
plant produces numbers of slender runners, with 
young plants upon them, after the manner of the 
strawberry. These runners hang over the side of the 
basket, completely covering it. 
The "Kenilworth Ivy" (Linaria Cymbalaria) is an- 
other plant that can be used by itself or in combina- 
tion with other plants. It is a plant having small, 
ivy-like leaves and purple flowers. This is suitable 
either for sun or shade, and will stand frost. 
An effective combination for a shady position is 
made up of the trailing Lobelia (L. speciosa) around 
the edge ; a few plants of Begonia Rex, a variety hav- 
ing beautifully variegated leaves, and for a center 
plant a small palm — either Kentia Balmoreana or 
Phoenix Roebelini. 
For a sunny position the "Floss Flower" ( Ageratum 
mexicanum) with its well known blue flowers, a plant 
or two of "Dusty Miller" (Centaurea gymnocarpa), 
and as a trailing plant "Sweet Alyssum (Alyssum 
maritimum) may be used, or a small plant of Dra- 
caena indivisa, a beautiful foliage plant, with long, 
narrow, green leaves, in the center, and filling in the 
rest of the basket with trailing ivy-leaved geraniums, 
which should be all of one color. — From Brooklyn Botan- 
ical Garden Leaflet. 
227 
