I'm not sure either, NAF (sorry) but I wonder if it may be a combination of: greenhouse grown(warm, wind free), lots of fertilizer, pinching back at the right time??

I am the same as you; I think my "baskets" (well, mine are those black steel framed baskets with the cocoa fiber thingies in them...so I think they may actualy fall into the basket category) usually look pretty good, lots of flowers and foliage. But they never have as much volume as greenhouse grown ones. I sort of assumed it is because my decks are windy places, and that is hard on plants. Plus I only remember to fertilize half as often as I should.

*shrugs* Sorry I couldn't be more help! Have you ever tried asking someone at a greenhouse? Particularly if you know the owners at all, and you know who actually knows what they are talking about? (not the huge greenhouse teenager employees)

Heavy fertilizer in slow release pellets, and constant watering. It also takes some time, they start those baskets under lights in the winter so they're full and blooming for Mother's Day. I have a super nice fuchsia that DD "bought" me (ok I bought it myself) for Mother's Day and it's way bigger and prettier than fuchsias I've planted myself in previous years.

One trick is to jam in as many plants as you can - makes 'em look a lot fuller. Of course that means more watering and fertilizing, and i don't get mine done as often as i should either. Some years they turn out great, other years - meh.

When I do a basket, either hanging or a planter, I mix slow release fertilizer and water polymer crystals into the soil mix. I also add compost to the mix. If I use a coir liner, I cut a dinner plate size circle out of a plastic shopping bag and put that on top of the liner before adding the soil. This keeps the water from running out when you water. Pinching is also important. Marg

More TLC then =:)

Maybe I'll splurge on a "ready made" one and see if I can keep it nice.

Thanks!

I have had really good luck with these baskets from Lee Valley. I stuff them the end of April. I pack dryerlint amount the mesh parts to keep the soil stable. I bring them in if it gets below freezing but I don't baby them. They often even see snow. I think the trick is lots of plants. I use a slow release pellet fertilizer 2x a year and maybe a liquid once or twice. They mostly get watered with rainwater. We get a lot of wind where we are and I find this style of pot much more forgiving than a traditional pot for stem breakage.

this is taken at the beginning of June (with my buddy)

This was taken the beginning of September (1st day of Grade 1 for my eldest)

Here is a link that might be useful: lee valley tool hanging pots

That's it ! Those are what I want !

Mikomum - I'll check my Lee Valley brochure. Your petunias survive snow?

Jean - Did you plant those yourself in a greenhouse, or did you buy some and then give them lots of love after ? How do you get them round like that? Are they in pots like the ones from Lee Valley?

I used some tidal wave petunias that were cuttings from cuttings that I started last September and kept under lights in the house. Some of the petunias in the baskets are ramblin ones I started under lights the first of March. I planted the baskets in April. If you buy trailing petunias it might take a little longer to get them this full but they will do it quicker then what you think. Nothing can out do the tidal wave petunias and the nice thing about them is they are self cleaning and you dont have to dead head. I did ramblin petunias a few years ago and forgot how much I liked them so did them this year too....Jean

We usually get at least one wet spring snow that lasts 24 hours or so after I have my pots and baskets planted. Petunia's take it ok, I usually pinch them back a bit. I only use non trailing petunias in the top of my baskets because my yard is a wind corridor and when I did trailing petunias they always ended up getting broken. I find calibracia (sp? million bells) to have a similar look but they don't break as easily because they aren't as heavy. Savona, those look great!

I'm pretty happy with these this year - they are Opera Supreme Raspberry Ice that I started from seed around the beginning of March. I cut back the plants once while still in the greenhouse but have not pinched since. The stand holds 3 hanging pots - I think they're 12", each has 3 plants in it.

I also water daily and miracle grow fertilize quite often. Oh, and I quickly got them in the garage before the big hailstorm a couple weeks ago.

Oh I do love pink petunias!!! That almost looks like a giant pasley butterfly. Antennae and all. :)

Great tunies Pudge! Love the colour.

My mixed containers that I grew from seed are starting to look really nice. I nuked one with too much Miracle gro though, I must have put it in twice. And my beautiful fuchsia got covered in concrete brick sawing dust when we were getting our new patio and died instantly. I washed it off within a couple of hours and it was already dead. It must have been alkaline or something, I have never seen any plant go from thriving to dead so instantly.

Gorgeous petunias pudge!..Jean

The dust is very fine and clogs the stoma of the plants. It's also extremely, extremely bad for human lungs.

This spot is always grows my best potted plant. It's on a chimney pot lile on Coronation street . That is if any one watches it. Also threw in my fav Delph

Love your chimney pot Beegood!

My planters are coming along nicely, I grew everything in here from seed.

What a lovely chimney pot beegood and the delph is gorgeous too.
Gilian I have done the red stripe asters like your purple ones. I must remember to order more seeds next year.I see you have no fear of mixing colours in your flower planters, they look great..Jean

Beautiful! I only have a couple of containers that look really nice this year. I was hoping that they'd get fuller in time for the tour, but oh well. :-/