A Living Moss, Hanging Basket — Irish moss & more
Debbie Teashon
Here I am experimenting again, this time lining a wire basket with living plants, instead of sphagnum moss or coconut fiber liners. Although Irish moss (Sagina subulata) isn’t really a moss at all it’s a perennial, the plant puts a new spin on the moss-lined basket!
I planted this container early in spring, laying four Irish moss plants horizontally around a wire basket. I hoped that as it grew through the wire, it would completely cover the base of it. The bare areas of wire I lined with sphagnum moss until the living Sagina would cover it completely. For a spring basket, I planted primulas on the top of the basket.
For a summer basket, I dug the primroses out and replanted with a fancy leaf geranium (Pelargonium 'Vancouver Centennial'), Nemesia fruticans 'Bluebird', coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides 'Defiance'), and licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare ‘Limelight’). Not wanting to shade out the Irish moss I planted more upright plants, with just a few trailers.
I hung it on a plant stand so you can see more of the basket. At this stage, if I hung too high, the planting would lose some of its charms. I am waiting to see how it grows as the season progresses when it might look better hung higher from the ground.
I think any creeping ground cover will work to line baskets. I used a miniature English daisy on another container last year, and it looked great with or without the flowers!
Update: The hanging basket sold, so I wasn't able to see how it held up over summer.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Wendy Tweton and Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners)
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