2 BEAUTIFUL AND PRACTICAL IDEAS FOR HANGING GARDENS

Even if you don’t have much space, you can create beautiful hanging gardens, just for the joy of it, or with a kitchen garden to add flavour to your food.

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Exotic Hanging Garden
Use an old spring mattress to create a hanging garden with orchids, air plants or any trailing plants of your choice.



1. Cut off the ticking or cover of an old single bed spring mattress and cut out all the filling between the spring coils, revealing the bare structure of the mattress. Leave the mattress structure outside to get rusty – if there’s no rain then water it occasionally.



2. Once it’s rusty, tie the mattress with garden twine to the branches of a tree. Make sure it’s hanging level, and tie it in at least six to 10 places to make sure it’s secure.



3. Tie strings of Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), which is an air plant, to the mattress. You can also push the moss from the bottom through the spring coils, or just let the moss hang over the edges of the mattress. Mist the moss with water occasionally.



4. Position plastic pots with orchids on top of the mattress and fasten them with twine so they stay in place. Spray at least once a week in dry weather. Ferns or any other hanging or trailing plants will do as well as orchids.



Kitchen Hanging Basket
A miniature veggie garden hanging outside your kitchen makes it easy to add wonderful flavours to your salads, casseroles and soups. It’s easy to put together – just follow our step-by-step directions.



1. Choose a sturdy basket that will stand up to the elements. Make sure it’s galvanized to prevent rusting over time. Line it with a layer of coir, available at garden shops.

Related article: Keep your garden pest free, the natural way



2. Cut out a circle from a black refuse bag (or any plastic) big enough to line the base of your basket, to prevent water from pouring out of the bottom when you water.

Related article: How to make the most of a small garden or no garden



3. Put in your potting soil, then add a teaspoon of Stockosorb or similar hydrogel product, that increases the water-holding properties of the soil. This will provide a continuously available water reservoir in the root zone, where the plants need it. It’s a similar concept to a nappy – when it’s wet, the nappy swells up as it absorbs the moisture. Here, the granules absorb the water, keeping the root area moist.



4. Now your basket is ready for planting. Choose miniature veggies and herbs that have the same water requirements – ask for advice at your garden centre if you aren’t sure. Basil, cherry tomatoes, chillies, chives, parsley and oregano grow well together, and so do sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram and oregano. For a comprehensive guide on which herbs grow well together, visit almanac.com/ companion-planting-chart-vegetables.

Related article: How to replant seeds from food scraps

TOP TIP:
Once planted, pick and trim regularly to keep plants healthy and bushy, and water daily or as required.