Hanging Pretty

Design and create baskets brimming with gorgeous blooms and foliage.

- WENDY HELFENBAUM

To display a lot of color in a small space, just lookup. Hanging baskets can expand your garden and add interest to decks, patios and porches. Building your own is fun and offers more options, says Brooke Edmunds, a community horticulturist with Oregon State University. Here's how to create showstopping hanging baskets from start to finish.

1. CHOOSE YOUR CONTAINER

Baskets come in many sizes and styles. Select a basket material that's lightweight, such as wire, plastic, wicker, or peat.

“You can get creative and reuse something, too,” says Brooke. Metal watering cans, colanders, and other containers can also work if they have drainage holes or if you add them yourself.

When picking the container size, keep in mind what you plan on growing. A basket that's too small for your plants requires more watering and pruning. For larger plants with deep root systems, a bigger basket offers more depth and soil surface. Baskets with open sides will allow you to plant along the sides.