The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-05-14
What to Use In Hanging Baskets.

Morning glory is one of the most
thrifty and delightful plants for the
baskets described. When grown in the
house this vine becomes more delicate
than when cultivated out of doors. It's
flowers will open every morning and
will not close their blue cups until near
ly night. A conspicuously beautiful
hanging design may be made by filling
clay bowl with soil and planting e
with seeds of morning glory. In six
weeks time the vine will be luxuriant
and blossoming. Set this bowl in o
rustic hanging basket. The morning
glory, or convolvulus family, are very
free blooming and are snowy and desir.
able for suspending in the window.
lvies and fern look charmingly planted
in bottles filed with water and screened
in moss in moss-lined wire basked.
The partridge vine will grow in water
and may be utilized for ringing the
basket. The ivy will Irvine about the
basket and creep up its cords. Fresh
water must be added to that in the bot
ties every two or three days, but this 10
little more trouble than watering would
be.
There is no lovelier vine for the bas-
ket than the nasturtium, which bios
SONS very freely. Honeysuckle and
trailing neutrality-suspicious. are also
admirable. The center of the basket
may be planted with verbenas, petunias.
heliotrope or mimulus. Three-forked
branches of any old tree, which are
gnarlSd and well grown with branch.
lets, make fascinating hanging baskets;
the more coated with moss the prettier.
Tie the three forks together by their
heads with strong wire or Irvine and
fasten the branchlets so that these will
form lattice-work. Over all the fast
enings wind moss. Set in this pot
with its saucer, filing all around it with
moss Attach strong cords for handles.
Ox-muzzles and old fly covers may be
utilized for hanging baskets by lining
with moss and suspending. Miniature
baskets may be made of turkeys or
goose eggs that look very daintily when
planted with light vines. Choose the
largest size, pierce hole in each end
with needle and blow out the white
and yolk. Then put the egg in boiling
water, and when hot cut it in the mid
die carefully for fear it will crack down,
using small, sharp-pointed scissors.
Crochet a covering of bright worsted
for the shells, and cords to hang them
by. A rich and sandy soil should be
put in the shells, when the vines will
flourish luxuriantly. There are so many
ornamental devices to be easily made
for hanging plant-holders that no par
lor or living room should be barren Of
these interesting adornments.
In planting hanging baskets do not
crowd them with too many specimens
of upright growth. One erect plant,
such as a gcranium or begonia, is usual
ly enough. The trailers and creepers
should be planted near the edge of the
basket. Strawberry and cranberry vines
have been successfully used in baskets.
Gazania splendens will bloom exquisite
ly and drop down one or two feet from
the basket Ivy-leaved geranium is an.
other handsome trailer.
Water should be given judiciously to
hanging baskets, and whenever they
are watered the whole soil in the vessel
should be thoroughly wet. The warmer
the room, the more frequent must water
be given. Usually once day is suffi-
cient. Cold water should not be used,
but that of the same temperature as the
room. The easiest way to water wire
or moss baskets is to take them down
and saturate them in pail or tub of
water. If baskets are dried by the
strong heat from the sun, it is a good
plan to place them for half an hour in
dish of water, that their roots may
drink up full supply of moisture.
Plants will not flourish in perfection
year after year in hanging baskets; they
must be renewed every twelvemonth
with strong young growth if we would
have them healthy and bright.-Mrs.
Fannie Il. Benson, IN Good HouSekeep-
ina