Hanging Baskets

Paul 23

Hello,i'm new on here and to "proper" gardening apart from a couple of rose trees and strawberry plants and i'm looking for advice.I've recently been given some hanging basket frames and chains and would like to grow my own instead of just buying ready made baskets,how would I start and what would you advise me to grow?

I've also been given a job lot of tools,(various sized forks,spades,hoes) and I fancy making use of them.My wife says I can do what I like with the front garden as long as I leave the back garden for the kids.It's facing east and gets sunlight in the morning but none in the afternoon.I was thinking of planting in the borders and digging out or putting in a raised flower bed but i'm not sure what to plant so again i'm open to all advice.The garden is approx. 20'x9'. Thank you in advance,

Dovefromabove

Welcome Paul - it seems you're getting the hang of things already as you've taken note of the amount of sunlight your front garden gets. 

Have you any idea of the sort of gardens you like?  Shrubs, perennials, annual bedding?  

Oh, and what are your boundaries like?  Fences, walls, hedges? 

And do you have lawn there now, or .... ? 

Lupin 1

Hi Paul. Depending on their age, how about getting your children involved in a small way, then in time you might have their support to "take over" the back garden as well. When the gardening bug bites you can never have enough space.

Dovefromabove

That's a good idea KEF - if they're old enough in the spring they could start sowing and growing some plants for the hanging baskets!

Paul 23

My four year old girl already loves to help and she's keen to have her own hanging basket,her favourite colours are pink and purple so anything along them lines would be brilliant.

My boundaries in the garden are wooden fencing and at the moment the garden is just a lawn although something did used to grow in the boundaries because they are already marked out but covered in weeds.

I'm looking to grow shrubs down one side of the garden and I have a young tree in the middle of the lawn and i'm hoping to dig out a circle around it and put flowers in but I don't know what kind to plant.

Lupin 1

Paul, start a new thread, as you did with this. Maybe " help planning new front garden" or something like that

Tell about a tree say what size you want and when you want it to show at it's best. Tell what colours / size of plants you fancy at the base. You can't usually plant under a new tree, you need to keep area clear for a while  

Plenty of time to ask about pink / purple ideas for baskets, you'll get loads of ideas in early spring. 

Borders we'll have fun with, you tell what you like and we'll give ideas.