|
How to
Create a Living Bouquet
 PLANTING
YOUR BASKET
Suspended from a tree limb or rafter, a living
bouquet draws attention with its dramatic flower
color and greenery. Sphagnum baskets can either be
planted at the top so that the blooms cascade over
the sides, or in the sides and top (as shown below)
to create a ball. Planting both the sides and top
produces a fuller basket which will be ready for
show in a shorter period of time. If the plants
you've selected already are starting to bloom, your
basket bouquets will look full in only 2 to three
weeks! Fertilizing bimonthly will help your basket
fill in quickly and stay healthy.
Planting
a hanging or wall-mounted basket is as easy as
1-2-3!
|
Step 1.
Moisten moss and create planting holes
with fingers or gardening shears. Push
roots through the outside of the basket
while gently pulling from the inside.
Space plants 2 to 6 inches apart,
depending on the eventual size of the
plant.
Step 2. Fill the lowest tier with
flowers, adding enough light potting soil
mix to cover the roots of the plants
completely. Pack soil.
Step 3. Continue planting layers
until you reach the top tier and then
place a plant upright in the top opening
of the basket. When planting baskets, add
one tablespoon of time-release fertilizer
to the top of the basket. Move the basket
to its final location and water gently,
ensuring that the soil and moss are fully
soaked, but not soggy.
Note:
Always
wear gloves when working with sphagnum
moss.
|
HANGING
YOUR BASKET
Sphagnum moss baskets look beautiful in outdoor
settings and the moss itself helps retard fungus;
however, when you hang a sphagnum basket, make sure
you provide it with adequate support, as fully
planted, recently watered baskets can weigh from 20
to 60 pounds. Use a support that can bear the
weight of the basket, such as thick chain or
strong, galvanized wire for lighter baskets. Check
your hangers often, as water and fertilizer can
weaken hangers over time. Suspend your basket from
something with a strong structural framework --
tree limbs and overhanging roof and pergola beams
are excellent possibilities. If your basket is in a
location that receives sunlight from one side,
include a swivel in the hanging apparatus and turn
the plant on a regular basis. For help setting up a
suitable suspension system, go to your local
hardware store or garden shop and let the experts
recommend solutions specific to the basket's
location.
|
