Our home is a great environment for fuchsia hanging baskets, and we chose a beautiful one from a local grower for my birthday this year. From early May right up until middle October, the bright pink and purple blossoms invited the hummingbirds to sip, delighting us with the double pleasure of the flowers and the stunning birds.
My grandmother always had her baskets wintered at a nursery because they traveled to Arizona every winter. I had tried once myself, but without success. This year, I feel inspired by the universe and the amazing love that just flows around our home, to try again.
My sister-in-law is a great gardener and works at a local garden department, so I went to her for some tips. Which totally reinforced what I had learned years before. This time I am going at it with a new and heartfelt enSuzi-asm! One fuchsia, and two mixed floral baskets with geraniums and other pretty things.
I trimmed the plants back to about 8"-10". Trimming away dead grown and cleaning out all the dead leaves. Then watered them well, letting the excess water drain off.
Then I tucked them inside light weight translucent trash can liners, and gently tied the tops to keep a little moisture in but still have air flow. This will also help protect the plants from the sawdust that is highly likely to be floating in the air while they are being stored in the garage, or garden shed.
I will check them every couple of months and make sure they do not get TOO dry.
Once the last freezing weather passes in the spring, then I can bring them out and hang them up out front along the covered porch, and watch the magic happen!
Flowers are amazing and cheering and reminders that not everything has to be utilitarian! They can be beautiful! They can be for our pure delight! They help us ...
See what happened in the spring when I took them out!
Live Well!
Love,
Suzi~Q
Hi Suzi-Q, I'm glad to see quite a few people talking about keeping their plants over winter. I'm considering saving the geraniums over this winter. I usually toss them out and buy fresh ones next spring. If my grandfather were alive he'd think that's a big waste. I'm visiting you form UBC and hoping you're having a lovely weekend. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I learned a great deal from my grandparents about not wasting anything! Sometimes to a fault! LOL But flowers are certainly worth trying! The worst thing that will happen is that they don't make it and you buy new ones! :) I hope you try to winter them over! Come back and tell us how they turn out int he spring!
DeleteI had no idea I could store my hanging baskets like this...to be honest I let them die and get no ones every year. I am so trying this next year.
ReplyDeleteVisting from UBC
Good luck Michael, and let us know how it works out! Some plants in the hanging baskets are annuals, so unless their seeds have fallen into the soil, they might not come back, but the perennials should! Can't wait to hear how it works out for your plants!
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