Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 February 1875 — Hanging Baskets. [ARTICLE]

Hanging Baskets.

What looks better than pretty hanging baskets tastefully filled with plants? And vet, how seldom they are to be met with! Baskets of living plants may easily be had in perfection; select such kinds as will stand in rooms. As regards the baskets themselves, I like to see the wire-work painted dark green. Some paint it with bright colors, which quite spoils the e|Fect of the flowers, which should be gay, -enough, as regards color, without any addition in the way of paint. Inside’ the wire-work put-a thick layer of green moss, so as to prevent the soil from dropping through; over this put some broken crocks, and then fill up with whatever compost is best suited to the requirements of the plants with which the baskets are to be filled. For summer decoration there are numberless plants that can be grown in baskets; but, for winter blooming, nothing is better, or looks more showy, than Rollisson’s unique geranium or scarlet Troptelum, both of which will continue in flower all through the winter, and droop down gracefully all rdund the basket. A basket, indeed, never looks wtll unless it is furnished with some drooping plant round the edge, as, for instance, "with the variegated ivy-leaved Pelargonium, called L’Elegante; while inThe center should be a nicely-grown plant of Fuchsia Mrs. Marshall. Pretty baskets may also be made of silver variegated Geranium Lady Plymouth and bright blue Lobelia, or of blue Convolvulus, with Christine Geranium in the center; in fact, any flower that suits and is put in with good taste will look well For large baskets suited for lobbies mixed foliage plants, such as variegatea Sedums, Echeverias, Iresines and Centaureas, have an effective appearance. A window-box made of wood and lined with zinc, suspended by four, cords or wires, up which can, be trained creepers, also makes a pretty room ornament. The great point as regards creeping plants in baskets or boxes, fresh and in good health, is to give tbeffi plenty water during the growing season, but more sparingly in winter, and to keep the leaves clean. If baskets are hung high there should he some means of lowering

them, as it is troublesome getting up to them every morning with steps. If the' baskets are small the best way is to carry them away and water them outsider but in the case of large baskets this cannot be done, so a tea-tray or something of the kind should be placed under them to catch the drip. —lhe ( London) Garden.