What kind of hanging baskets should I put in my screened in porch?

They need to be shade plants. How about boston ferns?

What kind of hanging baskets should I put in my screened in porch?
Ferns are nice... I'd do several types of plants per basket. Some with height, different colors, some with different textured leaves... Adds interest.



I personally like wave petunias. They are hard to kill.
Reply:I love Boston ferns. Go for it. You might also do some begonia for color. I like the bright orange ones which would look exotic with the ferns.
Reply:Impatiens, especially the double flower variety that look like teeny roses. They love the shade and will do well on your porch. The are also one of THE most easy, disease resistant plants you can have indoors/partially indoors, as they are resistant to spider mites, white files, and other bugs that can infest plants that aren't exposed to bright/direct sunlight/UV rays at least part of the day. Another stunning plant that does well in shadier areas and subdued lighting is fuscia. Fuscias are so exotic looking, come in a wide variety of brilliant colors, and bear tons of hanging flowers throughout the season. Bring either of these plants indoors during the winter and they will continue to trive and even bloom. Impatiens and fuscia are also very easy to propogate -- just pinch off a stem and stick in wet dirt. Aloe plants do well in shaded areas, and while not actually a hanging plant, makes a great table or window-sill plant. Bring Aloe in in the winter. Other succulents like Wandering Jew do well in low light and hang down gracefully. Depending upon how much light gets in, a Spider Plant would look nice (needs a touch more light than the other plants mentioned). Also, a massing garden plant that adapts well to containers is Dead Nettle-- it is a creeper that likes shade, and comes in white, violet-blue, or pink colors, with white-edged green leaves (the foliage by itself is lovely). As it grows it will start to drape over the sides of the container. Dead Nettles are perennials, so those you can stick outside in the winter and bring back in in Spring. As for a Boston Fern...while they look nice some of the time, I think they are, um, work. They need humid conditions to thrive (and not die off at the ends like they are prone to do) and require a lot of misting (sometimes four-to-five times a day in hot, dry weather), and perpetually moist soil...and are prone to root rot. In otherwords, if you are planning to be gone from your home for more than three days at a time this summer, you might want to rethink Boston Ferns. Boston ferns are also the kind of place that white flies and red spiders like to settle down in. Don't discount silk flowers. So many artificial flowers -- as long as they are not plastic -- are very realistic looking and they certainly are low maitenance. A few ivy leaves, a few petite flowers, and voila, a gorilla-proof hanging basket that looks natural and real. Don't forget to put something attractive outside your screened-in porch as it will seems like you have more plants on your porch than you really do, and, it will balance the look both from inside and outside the porch. And, no matter what plants you put in your porch, make sure that every 4-7 days you take your plants outside and have a little MORNING sun. Do it every 4 days if you need to keep the plants from getting too leggy. The sunlight and the morning light spectrum is not only good for growth and color development, but the UV rays will help keep any little pests at bay. If there is a nice easy rain and thunder and lightning storm (loud and a little windy is OK, heavy winds are not), take your plants outside and let them benefit from the rain and the static electric charges the lightening produces (lightening is often called the poor farmer's fertilizer...and don't you always feel refreshed after a nice shower?). The wind will also help strengthen your plants if they are not exposed to much motion on your porch. Pot your plants in a top-quality potting soil (worth every penny you pay for it). Most of these now contain time-release nutrients, but it won't hurt to add a little extra feed every two weeks or so. An easy, home tonic comprises 1 tblsp. corn syrup or molasses or 1/2 can cola, 1 tblsp. ammonia, 1 tblsp. epsom salts to one quart of water. Add 1/4 cup wood ash if you have it. Use an organic emulsion such as fish or seaweed oils rather than a crystal non-organic fertilizer. Here is another hint for you for ALL your potted plants, indoors or out -- take a piece of diaper or feminine napkin (the part that gels up when wet) and the underlining (not the plastic part but the sheer, clothy part) and put this at the bottom of your container where the seep holes are. Then a layer of dirt, then break up some bits of the diaper/napkin and mix in with the soil, and then your plants. This material will absorb and hold a tremendous amount of moisture which means fewer concerns about, and easier watering. (They rip you off, I mean sell the same gel stuff at garden centers for $13 for a 20 gram container; diapers and napkins are way cheaper and I can always use the filler and lining for something!) No matter what plants you choose, I am sure your porch will look lovely, and I wish you many good hours hanging out on it this summer!
Reply:Begonias and impatience are nice and they add alot of color. Spider plants are good too. When they sprout babies and hang down, it is really lovely.
Reply:airplane plant or spider plants love a shadie area