Cecilia Cran discovers the joy a colourful hanging basket can bring to the smallest space.
With my thumbnail of green space currently over flowing with all the flowers and vegetables I have (perhaps over-ambitiously) planted these last few months, I am now looking at other ways I can continue to green my home.
On my evening amble around the Borough, I have been passing a number of beautiful window boxes and also noticed some lovely, vibrant hanging baskets. Which got me thinking – even with my now non-existent garden space, hanging baskets are an excellent way to add some nature, colour and greenery to any area, however big or small.
What to grow:
As above, many people have started their summer hanging baskets already, but fear not, you still have time. Summer hanging baskets, if well cared for, can run until mid-end of September.
For starters, choose where you will be putting your hanging basket, consider where it will get sunlight and where you’ll be able to easily feed, water and dead-head the flowers. Once this is decided, choose the basket shape you want – all good gardening retails stock reasonably priced baskets and basket lining. I suggest a simple, round metal basket, with coco coir lining.
Next, choose a peat-free compost and then you are on to the fun part – creating your unique design. There are some guides that say place one big plant in the middle of the basket and smaller ones around the outside, others that say choose a simple low-growing flower to add one consistent block of colour. I say break all the rules, go and explore what plants are in season, then choose whatever you feel looks good and reflects your home and personality. I had a number of snapdragon plants left over and have decided to plant those out this year, I’ve gone for a maximum colourful impact and an added bonus is that bees and butterflies seem to love them too!
Green escape: West Ham Park
For the keen-eyed readers of this column, you’ll know that I’ve written about West Ham Park previously… despite promising myself not to repeat any of my green escape advice, I’m going to do just that. But trust me – this bears repeating.
As a quick re-cap, back in the late 1700s West Ham Park housed a grand mansion owned by Dr John Fothergill, a physician and keen botanist. He sought out thousands of rare plants from the UK and across the world and created a garden. After his death, the estate ultimately ended up in the hands of the City of London Corporation, who officially opened West Ham Park in 1874. The park has maintained Fothergill’s love of plants and the gardens have gone from strength tostrength. Specifically, the rose garden includes a permanent exhibition about the garden and its links with explorer Captain James Cook, which was opened by actor Alison Steadman in August 2021. In this glorious weather we’ve been enjoying lately, I like nothing more than to take a wander beneath the fabulous floral canopy of colourful roses – peaches, pinks, whites and reds, all with the most beautiful scents. It’s a slice of green heaven, right here in Newham.
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