i have a hanging basket on the west side of my house that gets full sun from 3p-7p... the moss rose in the basket now really needs more sun than that and is flowering less and less. what would do well with only a few hours of afternoon sun? would million bells flourish here or does it really need more direct sun to blossom?
what would do well in hanging basket in late afternoon sun?
I have a carpet rose in a hanging basket in that same situation, and it's doing just great. This is a close-up, but the whole thing is loaded with beautiful pink clusters of blooms. It's facing north, but gets the western sun for several hours in the afternoon like your situation.
wow, that's really pretty! i will certainly look into getting one. i have a 16" hanging basket, is that too big or not big enough?
I had mine in a 16" pot the first year, but now it's in a 20" moss pot I got on sale last winter. I wintered it over by putting it in a bigger pot and wrapped the whole plant with burlap. Then I put it up against the brick wall. By early spring it was beginning to leaf out, so I rejoiced that it had lived over the winter and repotted it then. I wanted to be sure to give it enough space for the roots. I bought it last year locally already leafed out and flowering. I had ordered one from an online source, but when it got here it looked terrible.
Here's a better picture.
do you know what type your carpet rose is by chance?
Yes, it's a pink flower carpet rose. Here's the web site. http://tinyurl.com/bwza5
I went out and got another one today, a red one! Couldn't help myself!
post a pic! as soon as i get some free time, i'm off to the nursery to look for one :)
Here it is. It looks pretty ratty because of our hot weather. It's been out in the sun at the garden center all summer. But I'll bet it'll be gorgeous next year!
that doesn't look ratty at all. it looks lovely! can't wait to get one too
Margarita Sweet Potato works for me for foliage ( Don't try the variegated ones, they have done badly for me on my west facing front entry). If you do plant Margarita, put a piece of Irish Spring soap in with it when you plant to keep squirrels from taking the tuber and running away with it for their dinner!
If you want a tall plant (up to 3 feet) that won't quit all summer long, try Angelonia. This is the best and toughest plant ever, despite the delicate appearance. Maybe not quite what you're looking for, though.
My Lantana is going great this summer, but this is my first year, so not sure how it will perform the rest of the season. I also bought a Sweet Pea mix for containers that is doing way better than I could have hoped. They are dwarf, and I planted them right in the container in March! Pinks and purples. Very nice.
Also, Marguerites do well for me on the west side. There's a really lovely one that is variegated with tiny blue daisies all over. You do have to deadhead though.
I hate to say Petunias, but they will grow very well for me. Just mix with some of these other plants to fill in when they get leggy.
Those carpet roses are so pretty! I am a huge fan of the million bells and super bells. I have them growing in full sun and part shade and they are taking over. I planted some white ones in between some small azaleas at the beginning of spring as a filler and they are amazing!!! One of them is over a yard wide and spilling over the edging, so pretty, I get many compliments. Those are planted under a persimmon tree and still thriving.
Rachel
i've heard lots of good things about sweet potato vine, so i may have to experiment with it this year :)
and butterqueen, i love million bells but fear it may not bloom profusely without full sun? if it does, it is definitely on the "to get" list!
ooh I am in love with sweet potato vine! Blackie is gorgeous and I have replaced almost all of my ivy in my containers with it. I also have the green and variegated, it is a great plant.
some of my million bells are not in full sun and are still spreading and blooming all over the place.
Rachel
I have sweet potato vines (Sweet Caroline chartreuse & Blackie) in my hanging baskets along with red geranium (pelargonium) white million bells and licorice plants. The only problem I have is keeping the baskets watered well enough during the HOT sunny weather we're having 'up north'. With all the diapers and moisture crystals used when I planted them, I still have to water every three days.
;-) (Just kidding)
Last year I was watering the baskets 2-3 times a day to keep the sweet potato vines from wilting. So I'm not really complaining. And yes, the million bells do a great job for me with the same hours of sunlight.
~julie~
Hi There,
Diapers in hanging baskets? New idea to me, but I bet the moisture crystals are similar to what absorbs in some of those diapers. Now that my grand-twins are trained, I've got diapers sitting around. How do you use them - line the basket at the start?
Ann
Hi Ann...My baskets are lined with coconut fiber to hold the soil mix in place. When I made my baskets this spring, I laid one diaper across the bottom of the basket, cut another in half and laid it across in the opposite direction. They've made a noticable difference in the amount of time I've had to spend watering.
~julie~
Thanks. May try that next year. ;-)
Ann
Hi Ann
Just a tip if you use the diapers.
Examine the diaper and you can see the site of asorb stuff. When you cut the elastic for the legs and waist off, do not cut the asorb site otherwise you will have this messy stuff all over the place.They lay nicer in the pot with the elastic waist and legs removed. Also some diapers have the no leak outside covering so this will be put against the outside of your container and the asorb side to the soil.
All different diapers (disposable ) work.
With reguards to replacing the soil: it works much better if you have'nt disturbed the asorb section as the diaper part stays in one piece opposed to all over the place. I also water the diaper prior to putting the soil in.
I have used this method and it helps a lot. You can sure see how the diaper won't break down in the landfill.
Have fun experimenting !! I hope I made sense.
Ann
Cobaea Scandens. aka Mexican Ivy.
Trailing Lobelia.
Radar Love Clematis.
The stuff in the diapers isn't quite the same as the moisture crystals, although they work similarly. The diapers should be good for a season, but the moisture crystals (WaterSorb, Soil Moist, etc) will last for several years & may therefore be better for some applications. But I love the idea of using the diapers in hanging baskets; will try that next year with annuals.