INDOOR HANGING BASKETS :
Displaying houseplants in indoor hanging-baskets needs care and planning. They attractively fill vertical space but can be difficult to water and look after. Also, they need firm securing points. Although similar to outdoor hanging-baskets, indoor types must be fitted with drip trays to ensure excess water does not fall on the floor. Alternatively, plants can be left in their own pots and all of them placed in a single, wide, large pot that does not have a hole in its base. This is then suspended in an attractive harness. Both flowering and foliage trailing plants can be used; if the position is shaded, use only shade-surviving foliage plants, whereas bright and sunny places can be filled with flowering types.

Planting an Indoor Hanging Basket :

1. Plan the positioning of individual plants before setting them in the basket. Draw a circle the size of the container on a piece of paper and arrange the plants.
2. Form a thin layer of gravel in the container's base to ensure water can run freely into the drip tray. If there are just a few large holes, place broken pieces of clay pots over them.
3. Cover the base with peat-based potting compost, to which has been added a handful of charcoal. Also, clay particles help in moisture retention.

Flowering houseplants for indoor hanging-baskets :

Aseschynathus radicans (Lipstick vine)
Aporocactus flagelliformis (Rat's-tail Cactus)
Begonia tuberhybrida pendula (Basket Begonia)
Campanula isophylla (Italian Bellflower)
Columnea microphylla (Goldfish Plant)
Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri (Easter Cactus)
Schlumbergera truncata (Christmas Cactus)

Foliage plants for indoor hanging-baskets

Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri' (Emerald Fern)
Ceropegia woodii (Rosary vine)
Chlorophytum comosum (Spider Plant)
Epipremnum pinnatum (Devil's Ivy)
Plectranthus oertendahlii (Swedish Ivy)
Olectranthus coleoides 'Marginatus' (Variegated Swedish Ivy)

GROUPING PLANTS IN HANGING-BASKETS :
Instead of removing plants from their pots and planting them in potting compost, plants can be stood in an ornamental pot (without a hole in its base) and suspended in an ornamental harness. The advantage of this method is that the display can be changed as soon as one of the plants stops flowering or becomes unsightly. Flowering houseplants with short seasons of flower can be displayed in this way, but also use a few foliage types to give the display permanency.
Example of how to make an indoor hanging basket is given on the following pages.
1. Draw a circle the same size as the bowl on a sheet of paper and place the plants on it. It is not necessary to create a congested group-a few distinctive plants can be equally attractive.
2. Select a flat-based bowl 25-30 cm/ 10-12 in wide and 13-15 cm/5-7 in deep. Form a 2.5 cm/ l in deep layer of pea-shingle in the base. Water the plants and allow draining before putting them in the container.
3. Fill the container with plants from the centre to the outside. Pack moist peat between the pots-it helps to keep the compost cool and to reduce the amount of water they nee.
4. Sphagnum moss placed around the edges makes the display more attractive. However, it is essential that the compost can be seen as the plants must be watered individually. Some plants will need more water than others.