Garden Tools and accessories help keep hanging baskets happy

As hot summer days continue and watering restrictions begin to take their toll on lawns and gardens, hanging baskets provide a welcome spot of vibrant color and foliage.

Hanging baskets add so much color to your outdoor decor and with a little extra care should thrive well into the fall season with plentiful blooms and healthy green foliage. The key to successful gardening with hanging baskets is adequate watering. Hanging baskets require more water and more fertilizing than standing planters.

Some tips for keeping your hanging baskets at their best through the hottest and often driest part of the season:

• select plants that will tolerate slightly drier conditions such as ivy geraniums, annual vinca (Catharanthus roseus), licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare)moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) and Trailing Lantana (Lantana montevidensis).
• Add slow-release fertilizer to hanging planter at the time of planting.
• try to place your hanging basket in a sunny spot out of the wind to avoid excessive drying
• water daily with a thorough watering, sometimes twice-daily will be required and feed weekly with a water-soluble fertilizer. In late summer, when hanging basket plants have filled in, the rain may not penetrate the dense foliage to reach and water the soil.
• check the root ball and add soil if the roots have pulled away from the walls of the container
• use a handy watering wand garden tool to water gently and directly without splashing or driving soil out of the container
• consider using a self-watering planter to ensure continual and adequate watering
• use a plant mister to spray foliage on extremely hot days
• water hanging baskets in the early morning rather than late evening to avoid problems with powdery mildew