So, you want a garden but you don’t have the space for one. Let me ask a question: have you thought about hanging baskets?
With somewhere around 1200 hanging baskets, LitteTree Garden Market in Fergus has such a wide variety of options to choose from, you will certainly be able to turn your garden envy around in no time.
If you are already a gardening expert, right on! You don’t need us; head over to Sideroad 18 and go wild. For the rest of us, however, let’s take a moment to be sure that we’ve got our bases covered before we dive into a much deserved spending spree.
Before you even start shopping you need to know where your baskets are going! Just like people, some plants thrive in the bright warm summer sun and others wilt. The good news is that it doesn’t matter if your patio is a sun paradise or a shady oasis, LitteTree can provide you with a basket mix that will be suited for either.
LitteTree’s employees can help point you in the right direction and answer any questions, but here is a quick cheat sheet: begonias are an excellent plant for shady spaces. On the other hand, like I do on vacation, geraniums thrive in the bright sun. They also tend to be a little more drought resistant, meaning that if you aren’t sure you can commit to regular watering, they will be a little more forgiving. If you happen to be looking at your space, and feel as if it has an almost even mix of sunny hours and shady ones, petunias are your best friend, as they thrive in a sun-shade mix setting.
The next thing to consider is colour and size. LitteTree carries an assortment of baskets from 10” loaded with bright Million Bells (among other flowers) in any colour you can imagine, to impressive 16” baskets that will make more of a statement in a larger space. Every basket size comes in a variety of colour options, meaning they will suit any taste. Leading us to our next step – styles!
When stylizing their baskets there are two routes they will go with for colour. First is to create a complimentary basket, with say blues flowing naturally into similar purples, adding touches of white to draw out the highlights in unique flowers like Night Sky Petunias which are always a popular choice. Their speckled white spots on a variety of different coloured petals make a striking visual that appeals to many.
If you feel like “bold” is more your style, then you may prefer the second option which is to create contrasting colours in the same basket. This option is a great one to choose if you are looking for something a little more striking, that will pop out against a neutral background. It may also be a good choice if you have a variety of colours that you are already trying to match.
One basket mix that is always popular is their hummingbird baskets. These have a mix of tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies, with a few umbel shaped flowers for the bees too. No matter the basket, LitteTree avoids using any “Double Petal” flowers. While they may have an appealing look, that look comes at the cost of the critters that use them as a food source. Whether it’s through this or using natural pest resistant methods, LitteTree values creating “friendly” plants for all to enjoy.
Finally, you’ll want to know how to care for your baskets. What most people don’t realize is that they will need plenty of water, sometimes up to twice a day in the heat of the summer. The best method for watering is the “dripping” method, which is exactly as it sounds: you have only finished watering when the water is actually dripping out of the bottom of the planter.
If you know that you may struggle with watering regularly, this year LitteTree are offering some “Weekender” hanging baskets, which are plastic double lined pots, with a reservoir in the bottom to store water and help “self-water”, meaning you can leave them longer. While these are a little pricier, they go a long way towards helping in plant care, and your pot will be reusable for years to come.
Beyond watering, fertilization, and deadheading about once a week are also a good idea; they also recommend cutting the plant back once about midway through the summer, as this will go a long way to refreshing the plant and making it last longer. All these steps will keep your plants looking fantastic all season.
So, now that you know all of the tips and tricks, we hope that we have inspired you enough to look for the right basket to turn your space into the summer dream escape you’ve been looking for.
WRITTEN BY: JILLIAN KENT | RESOURCES: LITTLE TREE GARDEN MARKET
