Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-06-07
HANGING.BASKETS.

Not every one can have flower gar
den, but every one can have hanging.
basket, in summer time at least. The
bringing of one into some howerless
home is often the beginning Of life
long love for flowers, the more associa-
ton Of which with daily duties is a re-
Gning influence, and the more there is
done to make there culture universal
the better. HANGING baskets can be
bought from any fl )rist at prices rang
ing from 81 to So each, according to size
and kind, and the varieties of plants in
them, from the common wire basket to
the rustic and the fancy earthenware
hanging pot The wire and rustic
baskets are the favorites, those made
of wire being best as far as the
growing OF plants is concerned. In
them plants seem to thrive best.
Those having baskets that have once
been filled often attempt to fill them
themselves and generally make mis-.
takes. Florists will fill empty baskets
| for a moderate price, using their own
experience and taste in putting in the
proper plants In most fl oral catalogues
the basket plants are designated, or
there is a separate list. Line the basket
neatly with moss, the thinnest kind is
best; put in the soil, which should be
fine and rich, push and pack 1t into the
moss and the basket is ready to ell.
Put a plant of German or English
ivy Or some other fire leaved vine at
each wire or chain; place lobelia and
a moas-pink, a Kenil worth ivy or an
oxalis, between each Ivy. Ia the CEN
! ire put a colels, fancy leaved gera-
mum or a centaurea, better known IS
| dusty miller" with an artillery plant
aud a saxifr gra (beefsteaE or straw.
berry geranium) J. either the plain green
variety or the variegated white, green
and light pink one, on each side of the
centre plant; then pat in two or three
cuttings Of tradescanthia, of which
there are now several varieties. green,
green and bronze green and white and
/. mulhColor, the latest, PRETTY varie-
gated green, white and pink; the last,
| though very handsome, is not so strong
a grower as the others, and has ten
dency to run back to the olden varie-
| ties.
The plants named will fill the basket;
| give it good watering and place it in
a cool shady place for day or two be-
! fore hanging up. The above hints will
| do as we'll for rustic and earthenware
baskets as for wire ones but before
filling them see that there are holes IN
the bottom for drainage. If there
should not be, as is often the case,
make them in some way. The rustic
baskets in particular are often manu-
fac ured without holes fo- drainage.
Hanging-bssket5 should not be hung
where they will get continual sunshine.
Keep them in at least partial shade,
and water whenever dry; nearly every
day. The wire baskets once week or
nftener should be taken down and put
in pail or tub of water and given a
tive-minutes' soak.
Among plants suitable for baskets,
not mentioned above, are sweet alvs-
sum, particularly the variegated var
iety; gnapAalium, with downy white
leaves; gsZ ania, the flowers OF which
growing varieties of ferns; var, ice
plant; Othonna crassifolia; troy @1ums.
and variegate grasses; panicum var, is
about the best of the later; coccoloba,
achyranthus, cineraria martina, the
variegated trailing vincs, and others.
The rex class of begonias, with their
beautifully marked leaves, do we'll in
baskets, as do the Towering claes.
Glaucophylla soandens is variety
with a dropping habit, wsxy light green
leaves and orange salmon h)wers; il
does well in q basket by itself. The
begonias, however, must have shade,
heat and moisture, :he first two in
large supply, to be grown successfully.
IN. Y. TRIBUNE.