In addition to coir for lining baskets, I used green burlap as a decorative liner. The $&@# squirrels tore thru it like it was paper and the green burlap faded within 30 days. In no time my beautiful baskets looked like cr@p, Sigh

So this year I get to do it all over again. I have bought poly fleece as an outer decorative liner. $6/yd with Joanns coupon.

The only good thing about my hanging baskets is that I did some serious research selecting plants that will survive summer neglect. Nothing died. I had euphorbias, ferns, sansevieria, aloe, dyckia, caladiums, lantana. I resisted the urge to spend on annuals that barely make it thru our summers. Pretty colorful and healthy non flowering baskets were visually pleasing and low maintenance. This night blooming cereus I got from Mara is a survivor.

I am envious of your beautiful baskets! How cold did you folks get? Maybe some of your perennial selections will come back from the roots. Lantana should anyway.

What I Left out will return from the roots. The frost tender ones I did store in the garage. Winter protection is not a problem as I don’t have too many baskets. Summer survival is my challenge. All that watering and hose dragging when it’s close to 100 gets old really fast.

I gave up on baskets a long time ago, due to having to constantly water them. I just get two fern baskets every year that hang on the shed. I keep my house plants under a pine tree next to the shed in the summer. I just have to water one area. I prefer large decorative pots with saucers under them.

Good tip about plastic. I may try it in one, as an experiment.

I've done it for years. It works! I also put it in clay pots for the same reason.

Also I agree with putting saucers under pots. It helps them hold moisture a bit longer.

Roselee, instead of plastic, I paint my clay pots with roofing tar, it holds moisture quite well. But truth be told, for the past 2 years I’ve been reducing pots rather than getting new ones.

Another chore I’m dreading is root pruning my plumies. I will not get any bigger pots so root pruning is a must, in addition to branch pruning.

To add to this, I put the middle of puppy pads in the bottom of my hanging baskets. I've tried plastic, but it holds the water too well. The active part of the puppy pads, or chucks pads seems to work really well.

I use that rubber shelf liner stuff from the dollar store in my baskets & then drop the coir inside that. Looks neater & doesn't fade.