Deep Fried Hanging Baskets

Today I am mixing things up a bit, I am giving the blog reins over to my husband Chris. He is in charge of all landscaping around the casa and recently adorned our back yard with a set of fry baskets. No they are not a terrarium, but they are plants in an odd container nonetheless so they fit this week’s theme. Without further ado I give you Chris.



I'm sure most of you that regularly read this blog are familiar with me and some of my exploits. As Jennifer mentioned above, I usually do the yardwork at our house and from time to time, I do something cool. When that happens, I'll write about it. I must say that today's project was a joint effort between Jennifer and me. She came up with the idea in the first place, secured the baskets and picked out the plants. I just provided the manual labor.


Supplies
Fry basket (restaurant-style, the kind used for deep frying french fries and hushpuppies)
Coconut husk
Measuring tape or ruler
Pen
Heavy duty scissors or knife
Potting soil
Small gardening shovel (or just use your hands)
Plants for potting (we used sweet potato vine, begonia and spike dracaena)
Mounting hooks or nails
Drill (and a hammer if using nails)


Confiscating
Most likely the hardest part of this project will be locating the fry basket. We obtained ours through a former restaurateur who neglected to pay the rent on his storage space. We also scored the cool metal signs also seen in the photos, but I digress…. Like anything else, with enough searching, you can find online or at flea markets, etc.


Cutting
You can purchase coconut at any home and garden store. It’s used to line your basket so that the dirt and the roots won’t fall out the bottom. Measure your coconut husk to fit both the bottom and sides of the basket. Line the basket with the cut husk.


Planting
The type of potting plants you choose is up to you. Our baskets contain a Sweet Potato Vine, a Begonia, and a Spike Dracena. Your goal is obviously to get the plants flush with the top of the basket, so depending on the size of your plants, you may or may not want to put a little potting soil in the bottom of the basket before you drop the plants in. After you’ve got the plants where you want them, fill in the spaces between them with dirt. Woila! Your basket is ready for hanging.


Mounting
Figure out where you want to mount your basket and mark at least 2 places on a horizontal line. Drill starter holes for your hooks and screw them in. Or if you’d rather use nails, just hammer them in about halfway and then hit them up to simulate a hook. There are many ways you can mount these. After you’ve got your hooks in place, carefully place your basket on the hooks and congratulate yourself on a job well done.


And there you have it. Mounted fry baskets that you can enjoy all year long. If you live in a place that freezes like we do, you'll need to take these down and keep them warm during the winter months. Also remember that any kind of hanging basket will dry out much faster than a potted plant, so make sure to water often. I water them just about every day. If you take care of them, they should last a long time and will remain as a nice addition to your outdoor scenery. Even Tallulah, who supervised the whole thing from the porch, approves!



More Gardening:
You Grow Girl - An interview with Gayla Trail.
Make a Hanging Basket with a Bird Cage
Back Yard Furniture - More pictures and projects in my backyard.