Keeping Your Hanging Basket Beautiful

You finally have your GORGEOUS hanging basket that you hand picked from Garden Valley Farmers Market. You’re watering it and admiring its unique beauty and color that it brings to your home. With a little work, love, and the following tips, let’s keep your hanging baskets looking absolutely gorgeous and full of blooms all summer long.

Location

When choosing your hanging baskets, remember to keep location in the forefront of your mind. Needing a shade plant? We recommend Ferns, Wandering Jew, and Fuchsia!
Needing a basket that’s in a sunny location? Petunia, Million Bells, and Lantana are GREAT choices for you, and come in a beautiful variety of colors.

Fertilize… slowly

Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to fertilizing your hanging basket. Why? First, if fertilizing too much, the flower/plant can become stressed by growing too fast and cause it to go into shock. Slow growth is much better than the opposite in the long run. Second, its important to fertilize because the soil is not exposed to the same soil as a garden bed would be. It’s not getting the same organic compounds and nutrients from the earth when its hanging in the air, so regular fertilizing of your basket is recommended.

Watering

How and when you water your basket is secretly an important tip. Most baskets tend to dry out faster than a bedding plant or pot would because they are exposed to more wind, so watering once (sometimes twice) daily is recommended with most hanging baskets. However, be sure to ask your sales associate for your specific plant’s watering needs if there is no tag).
When is the best time to water, you ask? We recommend early morning. Early morning watering gives the plant enough time to absorb the moisture that is needed so that it can survive the heat of the day, but any time, as long as you’re watering, is a good time.

Regular Pruning and Deadheading

Once a week, cut back and remove any damaged leaves or flower buds from your basket. You will notice a huge difference in the longevity of life from your basket if this is done and kept up with. Doing this not only increases growth in your basket, but it also increases the bloom development. And we all want that, right?!

F Y I

MOST hanging basket from Garden Valley Farmers Market do not need to be repotted, as long as they are kept trimmed back and pruned. But on the off chance that the basket might need some saving… check out the next section on what to do.

Your Plant May Have Outgrown It’s Container

If your plant starts to look overgrown, it might be time for you to repot your basket. Hanging baskets can become root bound because the roots will have no room left to grow. If you haven’t kept up with the regular pruning of your basket, you can repot your plant into a hanging basket that is a size bigger. Wire baskets filled with a coconut liner are a great option because they increase air flow through the root of the plant.

---

We would love to see photos of how beautiful your hanging baskets are this summer, so tag @gardenvalleyfarmersmarket in your posts, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #gardenvalleyfarmersmarket and show us your beautiful baskets!

Lastly, if you find this information helpful, we’d love it if you would support us
by sharing with your friends.

Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. If you’re wanting to visit with us, come by any of our five North Carolina locations. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook, Youtube, or our Instagram. If you’re wanting to earn rewards and be easily connected with us, download our new App. And if you’re wanting to check out our other recipes and blog posts, or are needing more inspiration, follow us on our Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
Much love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team

5 Tips On How To Get Rid Of Mosquitoes

Picture this: you’re outside, enjoying the sunset, and enjoying the cooler weather that the day has FINALLY brought. You’re sipping on your souther, NC sweet tea, talking with your friends, and watching the grill master cook up some perfect sirloin steaks. But suddenly, you start to feel something itch on your arms, and then your legs. You look down, and there’s what seems to be a thousand little flying, annoying insects circling you like they’re about to feast on you. Mosquitoes. And just when you’re about to “call it a night” and go inside, you remember this blog post that gave you some tips and tricks to get rid of those mosquitoes.

5 Tips On How To Get Rid of Mosquitoes:

1. Remove Standing Water.
Mosquitoes love standing water and are drawn to it. Why? Because their eggs can not develop into larvae without water, so it’s essential for them to survive. Simply removing any water in birdbaths, dog bowls, or old tires might be just the trick you need to slowly get rid of those pesky insects.

If you’re wanting to have a water feature in your back yard, it’s best to have one that has continuously moving water. A great option that we have available at our stores are these fountains that are pictures above.

2. Plant Mosquito Repelling Plants
At Garden Valley Farmers Market, we recommend the following plants to our customers:
+ Citronella
+ Lemongrass
+ Marigolds
+ Catnip
+ Rosemary
+ Bee Balm
+ Peppermint
+ Lavender

You can plant these herbs and flowers around your porches, in the pots on your picnic table, or up your front porch steps. Basically wherever you spend your time outside, you will want to plant them there.

3. Hang Bat Houses.
Okay, this might seem a little ridiculous. But, in case you didn’t know, bats eat mosquitoes and mosquitoes are terrified of bats. It’s a simple trick to deter those mosquitoes from laying eggs around your home. Try it out and let us know if it works for you!

4. Trim Bushes And Mow Grass
Mosquitoes hate heat and need a place to relax from the hot sun. They also like to eat on the nectar of the plants when they’re not feasting on us… so trimming up your vegetation and keeping the grass mowed is a great way to reduce the population of mosquitoes.

5. Wind.
Luckily for us, mosquitoes are not strong enough to withstand wind. So even if it’s not a breezy day, grab a few fans, hang them around your porch, and turn ‘em on. Another great option is to finally install that ceiling fan on your covered porch that you’ve been wanting to have put up for the past 10 years. It’s worth it.

We’d love to hear your tips and tricks on how you prevent having mosquitoes invading your summer nights! Comment below and let us know.

---

Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook or our Instagram. And if you’re wanting to check out our other blog posts or needing more inpsiration, follow us on our Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
Much love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team