Just because your house is physically square, doesn’t mean it has to be aesthetically square too.  After all, your residence is a reflection of your personality, and you aren’t square, are you?  Of course not, we saw you sitting at the ever-desirable “cool kids table” for lunch just the other day!

So back to your house—have a little fun with it!  Add a few hypothetical “accessories.”  Ok, we’re no fashionistas over here, but we do know a thing or two about greenery, and we have Richard Fadal here to give you his latest tips on how to fancy up that place of yours in no time.

For a fun way to dress up your porch or deck, plant a hanging basket bursting with your favorite flowers, ferns, vines or herbs. It will ring in the warm weather and you’ll enjoy its warm vibes all season long.

Here’s where to start.  Wire mesh baskets lined with cocoa fiber are readily available from your local garden center. Choose one that’s big enough to hold at least half a dozen plants in 4-inch containers.

Select plants based on the look you’d like.  If you have no clue where to start, not to worry; we’ve taken the liberty of creating a foliage fashion guide to help guide you in your quest for a re-vamped look:

For a bright, up-beat look: Go with a flower-filled basket by planting all petunias or all impatiens.

If you prefer a more low-key vibe, providing the area where you will hang the basket is mostly shady, use Boston or foxtail fern.

For you dare-devils who like a dramatic look, combine upright and trailing plants, such as oregano, alyssum, variegated ivy and trailing verbena.

Plant your selections in good-quality potting soil, and fill your basket about one inch from the top for best results.  And don’t forget to give your beautiful plants the nutrition they need.  While it’s questionable that models get even half the calories they need in a day, plants come free of body-issues and are always up for a good meal!  Be sure to use a watering wand with a spray control to water regularly and keep the soil moist to keep those green goddesses looking front-cover ready.

Have a favorite hanging plant of your own, or pictures of a spruced-up porch or deck you’d like to share?  Send them over!

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 27th, 2010 at 7:24 PM and is filed under Blog, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.