Hanging Basket of Heucherellas

Hanging baskets usually make me think of summer when they are planted up with floral bedding plants, but this striking basket with heucherellas and heuchera in subtle colours will survive freezing temperatures and look good all year round. The heucherellas will tumble beautifully out of the basket as the plants grow.

1. Place the liner inside the hanging basket and stand the basket on top of a plant pot or bucket to keep it stable. Half-fill the basket with potting compost, spreading it out evenly.
2. Using the knife, cut a slit in the liner about 4 in (10cm) long, making sure that you keep the rim of the liner intact.
3. Soak the root balls of all the plants in water for at least 20 minutes. Take a heucherella plant out of its pot and carefully remove some of the potting compost to make the root ball smaller. This will allow more plants to be planted in the basket. Fold a sheet of newspaper into a strip approximately 8 x 12 in (20 x 30cm) and wrap it round the plant very carefully, enclosing the foliage.
4. Working slowly and gently, push the newspaper through the slit in the liner from the inside of the basket to the outside, foliage end first. Stop when all the leaves have been pushed through the liner.
5. Again working carefully to avoid damaging the plant, remove the newspaper and gently ‘fluff out’ the leaves, making sure that none of them are squashed. Spread the roots out a little inside the basket.
6. Cut another two slits in the liner. There will be three slits in total so position them accordingly. Push two more heucherella plants through the slits in the same way as before.
7. Plant the remaining heucherella in the top of the basket, removing any excess potting compost from the root ball.
8. Plant the heuchera in the top of the basket in the same way, making sure that the surface of the root ball sits inside the basket and does not protrude.
9. Use the knife to cut three more slits in the liner between the heucherella plants, positioning the slits a little lower in the basket sides. Plant the muehlenbeckias, using the newspaper technique as before. These will help to hide the liner and basket.
10. Add the ivies to the basket, removing them from their pots and planting in the top of the basket, looking at the basket as a whole to find the best positions for them. Add a few handfuls of potting compost to the basket to fill it and make sure that the surface is even.

Splendid Succulents

These low-lying succulents in a variety of colours in a shallow concrete planter make a wonderful miniature winter garden. All the plants, apart from Echeveria ‘Magic Red,’ can withstand low temperatures, so if your container will be sited in an unsheltered spot, it may be worth substituting it for a more hardy variety.

1. Cover the drainage hole in the dish with a couple of crocks so that it will not become clogged with potting compost.
2. Add a thick layer of gravel – ¾ in (2cm) deep should be adequate – spreading it out evenly over the bottom of the dish.
3. Put the potting compost and sand mixture into the dish, half filling it. Press down lightly to make sure that there are no air pockets.
4. Soak the plants in water for about 10 minutes and remove from their pots. Start to position the plants in the dish, removing a little of the potting compost if the root balls are very large.
5. Continue moving the plants around until you are happy with the arrangement. Use trailing plants near the edge so that they will spill out of the container.
6. Add handfuls of the potting compost mixture around the plants to fill any gaps, avoiding compost falling on to the plants. When all the gaps are filled, press the surface of the compost slightly and flatten.
7. Using a paintbrush, carefully brush off any loose potting compost from the plants, as it can fall into the crevices.
8. Spread decorative gravel over the compost, again trying to avoid it falling on the plants (the gravel helps to protect the plants during very cold weather).
9. Water the container and leave to drain.