HANGING BASKETS, WINDOW BOXES AND PLANTERS 2019.

Stocks would give you scent along there @wiseowl, too and from your house door. Scented Nicotiana also put on a good display.

Sorry, I haven't any pictures of Stocks but here are a few of Nicotiana.

 

I agree with @Sheal nicotiana are lovely and my experience with the white scented ones has been lovely. Like walking inside a perfume cloud

 

I would go for Dianthus. It doesn't matter which ones, Carnations, Pinks, Sweet Williams, they all do well in containers and are evergreen. The scent is absolutely heavenly and if it's really sheltered then Pinks and Carnations would give you flowers all the way through to December/Early January.

 

Hmmmm, are we looking for height or not? That is the question!

 

Well Dianthus offer anything from groundhuggers 2 inches high to stately 3 ft high plants, so pretty well covered there.

 

Okay @KFF , I'll back away! It must be dianthus..

 

I'd go for height in the middle, cosmos? Gyp is always a good filler. I'd definitely add a trailer, ivy springs to mind
As for mid ground stock, cerinthe, rudbeckia, godetia.
Dwarf sunflowers with lobelia? That might work too.
The options are endless
I always plant a trough with herbs, easy access , near the kitchen door. These can be attractive too.
Summer wouldn't be the same without tarragon, thyme, lemon thyme, chives, rosemary and lots of mint ( seperate trough )
I'm wanting pics mid summer to see what you decided

 

My pansies have sprouted and are already clear of the metal cloth! I lifted the aluminium foil to have a peek and there they were, nice little seedlings. I'm really looking forward to these ones!

 

Nicotiana would be treated as bedding plants so not until after frosts around May/June I would say. I always grow mine from seed @wiseowl (the shorter variety), in fact I don't know if they are available as plants.

Nicotiana Seeds - F1 Perfume Mix at Suttons Seeds

 

Hope this is the right place for some hanging basket tips (if not, where is?). 2 years ago I had a nice cone basket made up before my very eyes by one of the staff at Dobbies. I watched & listened very carefully as he explained what he was doing, thinking that every Spring I can reuse the basket til it wears out, and have the satisfaction of re-planting it myself. That year it did very well and I was most pleased with it.

Last year I took out the cone and did exactly what I had seen him do. . .
Fill basket with multipurpose compost to within a couple of inches of the top, stick a geranium in the middle and then poke holes round with fingers & place in a pack of mixed hanging basket plants including trailers, all round the basket - liner was still in good condition with the few holes he'd poked in it. . .

I watered it well all season, fed it at least once a week with liquid Miracle Gro, deadheaded as needed, but it never really took off. Frankly it was an embarrassment and I'm still not sure what went wrong.

Last week in a local plant centre I fell for a stunning pink variegated trailing geranium cone basket and simply had to buy it (my plan was to try and re-plant my own cone again). Its so nice that I even took down the rusty old white bracket the previous owners had up, and put a new black rustproof one up to fully do the basket justice! May post a pic of it later

I'd like to look after my new courtyard cone as well as possible, and also plan to re-fill my old one and put a bracket up out the front for it. Any thoughts on what might have gone wrong with my basket? Quite honestly I've always used multipurpose compost for most things without thinking. Now I'm trying to educate myself on which ones are best for which job as I want to take pride in my plants now more than ever, both for my own enjoyment and to impress visitors. So, which is the best compost for hanging baskets? Is multi ok, or would I be better with something like 'Miracle Gro Moisture Control enriched compost' for pots & baskets (feeds for 6 months supposedly) or one of the John Innes numbered ones? I do have a tub of the slow release food granules, so I can sprinkle a handful of those in as well. Also, is it possible to water baskets TOO much? I only ask because my mother in law insists that they need 2 litres a day and uses an old pop bottle that size.

Thanks for your help.