How To Make A Winter Hanging Basket

Step 1: You will need

Step 2: Prepare the compost

Holland Park recommend mixing the compost with slow release granular fertiliser, and water retaining crystals, using the amount recommended on the instructions. This will nourish your plants and give them a better chance of survival.

Step 3: Line the basket

Place the hanging basket on a pot to keep it steady and line it with a layer of moss. Make sure the moss covers the basket and is at least a few centimetres thick. Place a piece of bin liner or newspaper soaked in water over the moss layer. This will help conserve water and protect the roots from freezing through the winter. Cut 3 slits in the newspaper near the base of the basket so the ivy can be inserted through the liner.
Top Tip: Place a small saucer in the base of the basket which will act as reservoir and reduce the need for regular watering.

Step 4: Ivy

Cover the base with a layer of the compost mixture, about 5 centimetres deep. Remove each ivy plant from its pot and insert the stems through one of the slits in the paper and through the natural fibre. Make sure they are planted above the level of the saucer. Add another layer of compost mixture and firm it down with your fingers.

Step 5: Winter bedding plants

Winter bedding plants can be planted in the sides of the basket as well as on top.
These plants are more delicate than Ivy, so to avoid damaging them when you insert them into the basket, Holland Park recommend rolling them up in paper or card to form a spike. Make a hole in the newspaper and insert each one through the newspaper and the fibre lining until the root ball is positioned against the lining. Remove the paper spike once the plant is in position. Repeat this process at regular intervals with about 20 plants to cover the outside of the basket.
Plant a layer of winter bedding on the top layer of the hanging basket. For more details see VideoJug's 'How to plant winter bedding plants'.

Step 6: Bulbs

The top layer of winter bedding can be interplanted with spring-flowering bulbs. Find the gaps between the plants and make holes twice the depth of each bulb. Make sure the tip of the bulb points upwards. Firm the soil down with your fingers.

Step 7: Water

Hang the basket on a bracket in a semi-shaded, sheltered area. Water your hanging basket once it's in place. Hanging baskets are prone to drying out quickly so the compost should be kept moist. Your hanging basket may need to be watered every 3 days through the winter, depending on the weather.