Suspending plants from porches and porticos is a part of the gardening ritual. Fabulous ferns and masses of brilliant impatiens, dripping over the edges of hanging baskets, have long been a way to place color in difficult spaces.

This year, look at the hanging container as a potential garden--just as you would a flowerbed. A variety of colors, textures, and shapes will become a focal point, sure to enhance your landscape.

SELECTING BASKETS
Have fun shopping for your hanging container. Only one of our planters was designed for that purpose. The others, a small miner's basket and an old, cone-shaped fire bucket, were found at a flea market and antiques shop, then put to garden use. Choose a container that can be suspended easily and is strong enough to hold the weight of soil and plants.

When deciding on the basket, think about the plants to go in it as well. If the container does not hold a lot of soil, like the miner's basket, the plants need to be shallow-rooted to flourish. Consider this when choosing the basket and purchase the most appropriate one for the plant requirements.

PLANTING AND PLACEMENT
Plan color and texture carefully for your hanging garden. If you prefer a single flower color, vary the shades for interest. Instead of planting all pink impatiens in our shady basket, we added a few light blush and a few deeper rose-hued plants for depth.

Variegated spider plants contribute a long, lance-shaped leaf to the mix. Angel-wing begonias have large leaves with colorful markings, as well as cascading blooms. Ferns and ivy, which thrive outdoors, also bring texture.