Plant a Winter Hanging Basket

This colorful container garden includes a few cyclamens, winter-flowering violas and a range of evergreens. In colder climates, evergreen boughs and branches with berries can be combined for winter color.

When to Plant: Early autumn
At Its Best: Autumn to early spring
Time to Complete: 1 1/2 hours

Materials Needed:

• hanging basket
• liner
• plastic bag
• wide, low pot
• scissors
• potting soil
• newspaper

• small plastic pot
• watering can
• Skimmia japonica 'Rubella'
• heathers (Erica)
• cyclamen
• winter-flowering violas
• small ivies

Before You Plant

Stand the basket on a wide pot to keep it stable during preparation. Then add a specially made basket liner.

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Cut Out Planting Holes

Lay a circle of plastic bag over the bottom of the liner to act as a reservoir. Cut out a few evenly spaced crosses around the sides of the liner.

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Add Ivy Around the Edge

Add a layer of potting soil to the bottom. Wrap paper around the root ball of each ivy and push them through the holes in the sides.

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - How to Grow Practically Everything © 2010 Dorling Kindersley Limited