A fern - one of the hanging plants in Yvonne Campbell's Garden. - file

It might be a case where you have limited space available, or you just like the idea of a garden at eye level. Your hanging garden can include annuals, vines, tropical plants, herbs and even vegetables.

Lettuce, parsley and miniature tomatoes can be grown in hanging containers. Herbs also do well and need little care. Several plants normally grown as houseplants do well at this elevation also.

Containers can dry out very quickly. Daily or even twice-daily watering may be necessary, experts note. Feel the soil to determine whether or not it is damp. If the potting mix feels dry one inch below the surface, it is time to water. Apply water until it runs out the drainage holes. If the pot dries out too much you should immerse it in water to resoak the soil mix. Containers will need frequent checking as the plants grow and temperatures become hotter.

It must be also noted that frequent watering flushes nutrients from the soil quickly, so frequent fertilising is also necessary. Remove flowers as they fade to keep flowering baskets blooming well. Many plants are rejuvenated by a trim in late summer.

Hanging baskets purchased from garden centres are usually planted in soil-less planting mixes. These provide excellent drainage, aeration, and water holding capacity that ordinary garden soil can't supply, and are also weed, disease, and insect-free.

Watering

In a warm, sunny period some plants will require watering two or three times daily. The same plant during a cloudy, cool period may not require water for two or three days. Don't allow the plant to wilt.

Site selection is as important for hanging baskets as it is for any other plant. For shade to part-shade locations select impatiens, begonia (both tuberous and wax), sweet alyssum, lobelia, New Guinea impatiens, fuchsia, pansy, swan river daisy, nierembergia, and bougainvillaea for best results.

For areas with lost of sun, choose Black-eyed Susan, geranium, petunia, nasturtium, portulaca, verbena, dahlberg daisy, and annual vinca.

Sources:/www.ipm.iastate.edu and www.hgic.clemson.edu