A hanging basket for your porch is just a phone call away

The second week of May is traditionally a time to visit the local nursery for hanging baskets as a gift to moms and grandmothers. If you want to avoid the germs and crowds, make this the year you order a patio planter or hanging basket using the telephone then arrange for curbside pickup from your local nursery.

Before you make the call make the choice. This way, you won’t be taking up valuable time on the phone to place your order. Don’t know what to order? Here are some hanging basket ideas.

For a porch or patio in deep shade

A basket of hanging begonias can be a nice change from the traditional fuchsia basket. The new “non-stop begonias” earned their name because they flower non-stop until a hard frost.

Ordering tip: Ask the nursery to pick out whatever begonia basket looks the best. If you get too specific on color or variety, you may be getting a basket not yet in its prime blooming period.

Begonia growing tip: Begonias growing in pots can rot from too much water but wilt quickly if allowed to dry out. Water when the soil is still slightly damp but try to aim the water under the foliage but at the edge of the planter. The tuber in the middle of the container will be less likely to rot and the leaves less likely to mildew if you keep them dry.

For porch or patio in full sun

Geraniums are the go-to bloomer for hot sun, and you can choose from the ivy leaf geranium or the more traditional upright geranium. The one geranium that is picky about water and sunlight (likes only morning sun, constant moisture but rots easily) is the lovely to look at but spoiled rotten diva the Martha Washington geranium. The most forgiving geranium when it comes to water is the ivy geranium, and these sprawling plants come in rainbow hues of lavender, pink, purple and red. You could also just ask for a mixed basket that will thrive in the sun.

For porch or patio with sun and shade

Order a mixed planter that holds a colorful combination of petunias, bacopa, foliage greens, lobelia and anything else the nursery decides to throw into the pot. You will have the best luck if you can tell the nursery exactly how much sun and if it is cool morning sun or hot afternoon sun where the basket is growing. The less specific you are about the plant material the better looking the hanging basket will be if you are requesting a curbside pickup. This is because the staff won’t’ be as limited to choice.

For the lack of a green thumb

A hanging basket of Scaevola or fan flower is the best bet for forgetful gardeners where the basket may not have consistent water. This tender perennial (it dies with the first fall frost) has thick, succulent leaves and fan-shaped blooms in shades of blue or white. The flowers are small but cover the plant. No deadheading or pinching is needed, nor does it make a mess by dropping faded flowers. The reason to applaud the fan flowers is because of its forgiving nature. If you forget to water it turns limp and appears dead. Give it a drink and soon enough vigor returns and the fans go wild. Scaevola does best in baskets, pots and window boxes where it gets good drainage. Scaevola is a fan of full sun.

This story was originally published May 9, 2020 at 11:00 AM.