Hanging baskets are a great way to put your colorful flower designs at eye-level (figure A). Here Heather Will-Browne, a Disney bedding-plant specialist, shows how to create a unique hanging sphagnum flower ball. You'll need a galvanized wire basket and unmilled sphagnum. (Be sure to wear gloves when handling sphagnum to protect yourself from any extraneous material it may contain.) Wet the sphagnum. Working on one section of the basket at a time, firmly push the sphagnum against the frame. Press it in place as tightly as possible, working from bottom to top (figure B); it will take an hour or so to complete the stuffing. Then, placing one hand inside the basket and the other on the outside, squeeze the sphagnum as tightly as possible; this will create more space for your plants' roots to grow. (Note: Many garden centers also carry "prestuffed" baskets.) Using a dibble (or similar tool), make holes in the outside of the ball at regular intervals (figure C), then insert the smallest plant plugs you can get. You'll need to use anywhere from six to 12 plants. When the outside is finished, turn the basket right side up and fill it with good potting soil, preferably one with a high perlite content. Then plant six to 12 more plants in the top. Very small plugs will need about 2-1/2 months to grow into a complete ball. If you want quicker results, simply use more plants. A final tip: When shaping your hanger, bend all three wires together at the same time (figure D); this way you'll ensure they're all the same length once they're bent.
| 
)
)
)
)
)
