So You want to Start a Hanging Basket Program....
By Evelyn Alemanni
The hanging basket on your porch is drop-dead gorgeous. Your neighbors venture by and suggest, "Wouldn't it be amazing to have hanging baskets like yours all the way down Main St.?" Hanging baskets can make your downtown stunning or be a huge pain in the neck. But with a little planning, patience, and consultation with horticulture professionals in your area, you can make a WOW statement that makes your downtown beautiful and can even increase tourism and business.
Planning
Planning is probably the most important element of the program. Plan for success! And that means, start planning early. Some things to consider:
- Locations: Hanging baskets make a bigger impression when they're grouped. Use two or four to a pole rather than one. Add a banner to add size and scale to the overall effect. Consider the environment in each location. Is it sunny, windy, shady? Is it easily accessible for maintenance? Is there a source of water nearby?
- Plants: Which plants will work best for you? Remember, opening a magazine or catalog and seeing a stunning basket doesn't mean that it will work for your application. Consult with a professional at a local garden center, nursery, or grower and get suggestions for bulletproof plants for your area. Coordinate the plants in the hanging baskets with what you use in window boxes and planters.
- Start early: If you're doing a big basket program, work with a grower who can assure that you have sufficient plant material available. Most growers will even plant the baskets and grow them in their own facilities, so that on installation day, they are full and impressive. You will want to decide on plant materials in the fall so that they can be ordered and grown to size by the following spring.
- Check with your city: Some cities have restrictions as to what can be placed on light poles. Considerations include line of sight, safety, etc. Some cities require approval from their beautification or appearance committees. So before you get started, be sure that you can meet all your city's requirements.
Planting
Some towns, notably Vernal, Utah, use volunteers to do their plantings. The volunteers love the opportunity to be involved in beautifying their town, and it becomes a day to look forward to. In Vernal, people sign up to volunteer in September for planting day in May.
The soil mix used in the basket is very important. Be sure it is appropriate for containers (don't just dig up the dirt in your backyard and toss it into the basket). Some people like to put a disposable diaper or a Depends in the bottom of the basket to help with water retention. Others mix water-retaining polymer crystals into the soil. Add some time release fertilizer as well. Look for a brand that offers at least four months of time release.
Maintenance
Who's going to water and deadhead? Some cities have a staff person to do it. In other places, the downtown business district may hire a summer student. Elsewhere, a corps of volunteers handles the work. In Loveland, Ohio, the beautification committee has a spreadsheet that shows each planting location, the plant materials, and who's responsible for maintenance. There's even a backup person for each location for times when the primary "caregiver" is unavailable.
Consider how the baskets will be watered. Some cities have trucks with a large water tank and pump. This is ideal for watering. If your hanging baskets are in front of stores, are you expecting the shopkeeper to maintain them? If so, is there a hose bib nearby? If volunteers are doing the watering, will you expect them to drag a hose around with them? In Logan, Ohio, one person donated the use of a golf cart that was fitted with a water tank, pump, and hose with a long pole and shower head. Volunteers are able to drive it on the sidewalks and easily water all the baskets and planters. Remember to add a small amount of fertilizer to the water. Even though the soil mix may include time release fertilizer, the added boost will make a difference in the vigor of your plants.
Funding
- When considering the cost, be sure to factor in the cost of pots, soil, plants, installation, maintenance, and removal at the end of the season. Also consider where you can store the empty baskets until next spring. Some cities pay for floral displays from their beautification budget. Sometimes a business district pays for it. Sometimes merchants and interested citizens will sponsor a basket or planter.
More Resources
America in Bloom's Best Ideas book has lots of photos and examples of hanging baskets and beautification programs. You can order your book at www.americainbloom.org.
Also, check the AIB website for info on our fall webinar on hanging baskets. It's FREE and informative.
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| Window boxes at the Dinosaur Museum in Vernal, Utah |
Planning
Planning is probably the most important element of the program. Plan for success! And that means, start planning early. Some things to consider:
- Locations: Hanging baskets make a bigger impression when they're grouped. Use two or four to a pole rather than one. Add a banner to add size and scale to the overall effect. Consider the environment in each location. Is it sunny, windy, shady? Is it easily accessible for maintenance? Is there a source of water nearby?
- Plants: Which plants will work best for you? Remember, opening a magazine or catalog and seeing a stunning basket doesn't mean that it will work for your application. Consult with a professional at a local garden center, nursery, or grower and get suggestions for bulletproof plants for your area. Coordinate the plants in the hanging baskets with what you use in window boxes and planters.
- Start early: If you're doing a big basket program, work with a grower who can assure that you have sufficient plant material available. Most growers will even plant the baskets and grow them in their own facilities, so that on installation day, they are full and impressive. You will want to decide on plant materials in the fall so that they can be ordered and grown to size by the following spring.
- Check with your city: Some cities have restrictions as to what can be placed on light poles. Considerations include line of sight, safety, etc. Some cities require approval from their beautification or appearance committees. So before you get started, be sure that you can meet all your city's requirements.
Planting
Some towns, notably Vernal, Utah, use volunteers to do their plantings. The volunteers love the opportunity to be involved in beautifying their town, and it becomes a day to look forward to. In Vernal, people sign up to volunteer in September for planting day in May.
The soil mix used in the basket is very important. Be sure it is appropriate for containers (don't just dig up the dirt in your backyard and toss it into the basket). Some people like to put a disposable diaper or a Depends in the bottom of the basket to help with water retention. Others mix water-retaining polymer crystals into the soil. Add some time release fertilizer as well. Look for a brand that offers at least four months of time release.
Maintenance
Who's going to water and deadhead? Some cities have a staff person to do it. In other places, the downtown business district may hire a summer student. Elsewhere, a corps of volunteers handles the work. In Loveland, Ohio, the beautification committee has a spreadsheet that shows each planting location, the plant materials, and who's responsible for maintenance. There's even a backup person for each location for times when the primary "caregiver" is unavailable.
Consider how the baskets will be watered. Some cities have trucks with a large water tank and pump. This is ideal for watering. If your hanging baskets are in front of stores, are you expecting the shopkeeper to maintain them? If so, is there a hose bib nearby? If volunteers are doing the watering, will you expect them to drag a hose around with them? In Logan, Ohio, one person donated the use of a golf cart that was fitted with a water tank, pump, and hose with a long pole and shower head. Volunteers are able to drive it on the sidewalks and easily water all the baskets and planters. Remember to add a small amount of fertilizer to the water. Even though the soil mix may include time release fertilizer, the added boost will make a difference in the vigor of your plants.
Funding
- When considering the cost, be sure to factor in the cost of pots, soil, plants, installation, maintenance, and removal at the end of the season. Also consider where you can store the empty baskets until next spring. Some cities pay for floral displays from their beautification budget. Sometimes a business district pays for it. Sometimes merchants and interested citizens will sponsor a basket or planter.
More Resources
America in Bloom's Best Ideas book has lots of photos and examples of hanging baskets and beautification programs. You can order your book at www.americainbloom.org.
Also, check the AIB website for info on our fall webinar on hanging baskets. It's FREE and informative.
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