by Holly Boettcher
Why is it that flowers lift our spirits and make us smile? Research has proven that being around plants significantly lowers stress, reduces anxiety, and improves overall mood.
Having flowers in your yard or gardens does not need to be a lot of work. The easiest way to enjoy them is to have either containers or hanging baskets on your porch or patio.
I have a few simple steps to keep these planters looking great all season.
Assess Your Space
When purchasing hanging baskets or containers, or designing your own, it is important to study the lighting where you will place them. Pay attention to different times of day and decide whether the space gets:
- Full sun: six or more hours of direct light.
- Part sun or part shade: three to six hours.
- Full shade: less than three hours.
Read the Labels
This is so important. If you don’t give them what they need, they will not perform well and may even die off.
Proper Watering
As your plants mature, their root systems require adequate watering. Most containers and hanging baskets need to be watered every day. I water mine until there is water dripping out the bottoms of the baskets.
Are you Creating your Own or Purchasing Them?
If you are planting your baskets or containers rather than purchasing them, consider the “thriller, filler, spiller” method.
Find a plant that is as sexy as can be and a stand-alone in your planting. Examples are gaura, salvia, or Baby Tut grass. Now look for fillers such as colorful Wave petunias. Finish off with a trailing plant, such as a sweet potato vine, to connect and anchor your container or basket to the ground. All you need is some imagination here!
Give Them Nutrition
When you water your plants every day, you are actually flushing out all the nutrients. For this reason, I give my baskets and containers a weekly dose of water-soluble Miracle-Gro. This is the best way to replace the nutrients that you have washed away.
Deadheading for You and Them
As I water each day, I take some time to deadhead the spent blossoms. This is a great way for you to relax while helping your plants utilize their energy to produce some new blossoms. Take some time to properly prune plants that are getting out of control, such as coleus. They look best if you give them an occasional haircut.
Check for Pests and Disease
Watch for pests that need to be kept under control. I like to use organic products such as neem oil. It not only eradicates many insects but also keeps fungus at bay, such as powdery mildew on garden phlox or clematis vines. Insects such as lily beetles or Japanese beetles also respond quite well to a dose of neem oil to get them under control.
Make it Last
We love summer, and it’s not too late to score some plants at your favorite garden center. Happy gardening!
This article was originally published in the August 2026 issue of Appleton Monthly Magazine.
