When you are choosing the plants for your basket it is important to have a combination of bushy and trailing plants. Look for plants that are compact and capable of branching out. It also helps to pinch the new plants back to within two or three inches of the soil after first planting to encourage them to grow laterally.

Variegated trailing foliage such as glacier ivy, vinca vine and variegated creeping Charlie or flowering trailers such as verbena, fuchsia, lantana, or ivy geranium are all good choices spilling over the side of your basket. Plan on using at least three trailing foliage plants per basket . Space them about a quarter of the distance you would set them in the garden. Avoid overcrowding. Root balls can touch, but don't squish to make them fit.

Now add some bushy plants. Anything that strikes your fancy and complements your other plants. You don't want any tall, woody plants that will stick straight up. Lobelia and sweet alyssum are always a good choice. The lobelia is a beautiful blue and the alyssum smells and looks wonderful next to most plants.

Make sure that you group plants that are compatible and appropriate for the conditions where you hang the basket. Use shade tolerant annuals in a shade location, etc. Don't use a succulent which needs minimal watering with impatiens which like to be watered often.

Primp your plants daily, clipping spent flowers, dead foliage as well as old stems. Dead material can lead to disease and insect problems. Be sure to check underneath the heavy growth on a regular basis.

When the foliage begins to get leggy--prune it. The most effective method of pruning is to cut the stems severely, straight across the rim of the pot. It's brutal but in a few weeks it will grow out and start blooming with it's old vigor.

Water and fertilize baskets regularly so plants will always be at their best. Once a basket has dried out, it will be almost impossible to get it uniformly moist again. If it does dry out completely, get a large tub filled with water and put the whole basket in to soak for a few hours.

I mix slow-release, encapsulated fertilizer (Osmocote is one brand) with the soil when I plant my basket. You can also use a water soluble fertilizer at half strength once a week.

Hanging gardens can get pretty heavy so hang the basket properly. I think it's important to wire them on to the hooks, so they don't slip off during a windstorm. Hang the basket from solid wood, such as a stud or rafter and use a bracket that is rated for the weight of your finished basket.

Making a moss basket

Hang the basket then start to line it with long fibered sphagnum moss. It is best to soak it first because it will be easier to work with. Pack the moss between the wires making an even layer around the basket. Make sure you overlap so that the soil won't be able to leak through. You can also line the moss on the inside with plastic to keep the soil from escaping the basket. Poke an opening in the moss with your finger and slide the seedling through. (If you wrap the roots with plastic first it will help to protect them when you push it through).

Partially fill the basket with potting soil (I like the soiless mixes) and then set the larger plants in. Keep adding soil and plants until they are all at the same level. Fill in between the plants with more soil, water thoroughly and then set your new basket in a shady area for a week or two to get acclimated to the outdoors.

A tip for all of you that get nesting birds in your front porch hanging gardens. Stick a child's pinwheel in the basket to scare away potential nesters.