Here’s how to keep signs of spring going into summer

Forget the first day of spring or the last frost, around here gardening season really starts on Mother’s Day. Regardless of the weather, the surest sign that summer weather is on the way is garden centers overflowing with hanging baskets in full bloom. 

But it turns out that picking out the perfect hanging basket is the easy part. Keeping it looking good past the Fourth of July is another matter, but rest assured, it can be done.

The hanging baskets you buy for Mother’s Day started life months ago as tiny plants plunked into a basket and grown in greenhouses mimicking the temperature and humidity found in plant utopia. They are watered, fertilized (a lot) and pinched back to create the bushy, colorful, healthy display that’s offered for sale.

The odds of them receiving that same treatment at their home are zero, but we can at least ease the transition. And the best tip when you get them to their new home is to keep them mobile. Temperatures often dip below the acceptable range for plants in hanging baskets through the end of May, which can damage plants or shock them into stasis. Moving them into a protected area such as a garage when temperatures dip below 50 degrees will keep them growing.

When it is time to hang them in their final spot, pay close attention to how much light that area receives throughout the day. Hanging baskets are usually labeled as being for sun or shade, but that refers to how much light actually reaches the plants, so keep in mind that full sun can turn into something closer to part shade if they are hung under eaves. 

And while you’re choosing a spot, keep in mind its proximity to a hose. Hanging baskets need frequent watering, and a hose with a long watering wand is far more convenient and less likely to send water dribbling down your sleeve than a watering can. When you first bring hanging baskets home, they might need water every other day or even every few days, but as temperatures rise and plants continue to grow, they will need increasing amounts of water, possibly even twice a day late in the season. It’s better to water very well — until water drains out the bottom — less frequently than a little bit more frequently.

The step that many people miss is the fertilizer component. Hanging baskets will have been fertilized frequently when you buy them, and the only way to keep the flowers coming is to continue to feed them. A water soluble fertilizer made specifically for flowers is perfect, and although many brands suggest applying it once every three or so waterings, aiming for about once a week is a good goal.

That care will keep a hanging basket looking great, but by mid-summer, some may just peter out. If plants are looking particularly leggy, many, especially basket favorites like petunias, calibrachoa and verbena, can be rejuvenated by a haircut and will flush out with fresh blooms in a couple weeks.

Because even when gardening season kicks off in early May, it doesn’t have to end prematurely, and neither does your hanging basket.