Half-day project

SUSPENDED SPHERES

Difficult gardening

Late spring to summer

Full sun

Moderate to heavy watering

Feed weekly in the growing season with a general-purpose fertiliser

Hanging baskets have rather fallen out of favour in recent years, but are ideal for adding a splash of summer colour to your outdoor space. If you only have a small balcony or courtyard, these spheres, made from two joined hanging baskets, are easy to accommodate and sure to attract admiring comments – and questions! I spray-painted the baskets before planting, but you can leave the metal as it is if you wish. The planting is beautifully clean and simple, perfect for the neat little spheres. I suggest you create three spheres (odd numbers are always more pleasing to the eye) and hang them at different levels for maximum impact. Rather than packing in lots of plants, as is often the case with hanging baskets, I kept things simple. I chose an unusual salmon-coloured salvia and combined this with ‘Emily Pink’ dahlia, a profusely flowering plant that blooms throughout the summer, and ‘Apollo Lovesong’ cosmos. This is a pretty cottage-garden favourite with feathery foliage that adds a whimsical touch to the spheres.