My Hanging Baskets

Traditional Loose Moss

Traditionally hanging baskets were lined with moss collected by hand from wooded areas. To line your hanging basket you basically started by adding moss to the bottom of your basket then building up layer by layer - much like birds build a birds nest.

Often the moss would be soaked overnight before starting to line your basket.

As you got half way up, you could then fill your “birds nest” with potting soil and add plants into the side of the basket. Then more moss was added to the side till you reached the top of the basket, then more soil, fertilizer and finally the plants were planted into the top of your basket.

This approach gave you a basket that was both top and side planted – creating a ball of color and foliage.

Many mosses however do not rapidly regenerate. So there are environmental concerns over stripping moss from swamps and forest floor including the damage to natures delicate eco system in particular its insect and bird life. For this reason the American Horticultural Society has out against moss that is stripped from swamps and the forest floor.

Coco Fiber

In the 1970’s a new style of liners was introduced for hanging baskets – there were liners made from coco fiber.

Coconuts are the seeds of palm trees. Coir or coco fiber is the fiber from the outer husk of a coconut. A mature coconut palm can produce 50–100 coconuts per year.

The coconut fibers are woven into round and flat durable liners that form rich, natural looking planting baskets.

Coco fiber liners are truly a renewable resource, with no damaging effects on the environment.

As they are made compressed of compressed fiber and natural glues – coco fiber liners can be difficult to side plant as you need to cut holes into and through the liner.

Coco fiber also does not hold moisture – meaning you will have to water your hanging basket more often than you would a moss lined basket.

Being compressed and glued together also mean Coco fiber holds together very well and does not drop like moss.

Preformed Angel Moss

Sustainably Farmed & Environmentally Friendly Angel Moss comes from New Zealand and is compressed without glue into preformed liners that can be easily top and side planted.

Sphagnum Moss has incredible water holding ability. It can hold about 20 times its own weight in water. That means that a 350mm/14" Sphagnum Moss Liner which contains about 150 grams of moss, can hold about three litres of water. This means less water is used, no water is wasted.

New Zealand Sphagnum Moss contains a high zinc content in the form of a naturally occurring antibiotic called Tropolene. This ensures that the roots of the plants remain healthy. Anaerobic bacteria that can cause decay are nullified by the antiseptic properties of the Sphagnum Moss.

Sphagnum Moss mildly acidifies the water. When used on its own it creates a perfect environment for orchid growing, notably for Phalaenopsis, Oncidium and Dendrobium type orchids.

Plastic Hanging Baskets

Plastic Hanging Baskets are never a good option.

Though there are a number of plastic options on the market. 

Due to plastics negative impact on the environment – as plastic pots do not easily breakdown and biodegrade, we do not recommend their use.

Also as it takes time for plants to grow – plastic pots often look unappealing once planted and it takes weeks for them to be covered with plants / flowers. Then again as the basket plants begin to diminish you are left looking at a dirty plastic pot.

Compare the look of any fully grown out hanging basket planted in plastic to even a newly planted angel moss basket side planted and the difference is striking.  One looks like landfill.  The other is a natural thing of beauty.