In hanging baskets, hens and chicks can be appreciated at eye level. Photo by Quincy Benton
I love the look of hanging baskets, but I do not love that they dry out so quickly--and that most plants are unforgiving when it comes to going dry in the full sun of my secret garden. In years past, I sometimes felt like my hanging baskets were holding me hostage.
Last year, I decided to try something new: succulents in baskets. At first, I grew resentful, wishing I could have the glorious, over-stuffed hanging baskets dripping with romantic and colorful flowers--the sort I associate with Buchart Gardens on Victoria Island in Canada, or the ones that give Victorian vim and vigor to Breckenridge in summer.
As I poked some hens and chicks in the soil of my hanging baskets, I thought I was making a huge sacrifice in the interest of water conservation.
But the interest, in the end, was in the hanging baskets, as they filled in. The architectural appeal of these baskets made up for the lack of color. The sculptural plants are especially appealing in a hanging basket, where their shape can be appreciated, as opposed to on the ground, where they tend to go unacknowledged. The succulents hold water, so they don't pout if they miss a day of sprinkling. I can go away for the weekend, and the hens and chicks don't make a peep.
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