THE season for hanging baskets is not over yet, so follow this advice from Plant Doctor Mark Reeve of Coolings Nurseries in Knockholt.

“Use good-quality free-draining compost and add a slow-release fertiliser and water-retaining crystals to keep your plants looking good throughout the whole summer.

“It will help if you sit the basket on a bucket or pot to keep it stable while planting. You can get various types of line, although they are traditionally moss.

“ When planting through the side, cut a few small crosses and wrap plants in old News Shoppers to to protect them while getting them into place.

“Trailing plants such as fuchsias, bacopa (sutera), ivy-leaved geraniums and calibrachoa work well around the edges.

“Fuchsias and begonias are particularly good if the basket is in shade for most of the day. Finish filling the basket with compost and add upright varieties of bedding or small shrubs to the centre of the basket.

“Lastly give the whole thing a good water to settle in the plants and fill in any gaps of that appear in the compost with more soil.

“The basket will now look stunning for the rest of the summer of watered at least once a day.”

Mark has his own plant surgery at Coolings. Go to coolings.co.uk for information.