Seriously impressive hanging flower baskets—here’s how Krista cares for them
These splendid petunias thrive on Krista’s terrace in Finland. She waters them with fertilizer-enriched water that’s been left to sit and removes wilted flowers every evening. A friendly competition with a friend adds to the fun.
Why did you choose petunias for your terrace?
I used to buy all sorts of hanging baskets for the balcony and terrace during the summer, often with limited success. One time, I happened to buy petunias and noticed that white petunias are especially eager to grow and bloom. They have a sturdier structure than other varieties, such as purple petunias.
Do you plant petunias every year, or do you switch them up?
After having a successful petunia summer, I’ve always chosen petunias for my hanging baskets. In other stands and flower boxes, I might vary the summer flowers each year.
Every summer, my friend and I have a lighthearted competition, since she also keeps white petunias on her balcony. The contest usually ends in late summer when we measure the baskets, but this year I declared myself the winner as early as the end of June.
Every year, I get the baskets at the beginning of May if the weather allows. Usually, the baskets form large spheres, but they’ve never grown in a droplet shape before. I think the exceptionally warm weather in May led to the amazing growth spurt.
What kind of location are the baskets in?
Our terrace faces south, so the baskets get sun from early morning until around seven in the evening, when it sets behind the trees. The terrace has been extremely warm, and I’m surprised the baskets haven’t suffered at all.
How did your petunias become this stunning?
I let water sit in tubs on the terrace and add fertilizer. I use about 500 ml of fertilizer per 45-liter tub. I might use a bit more than the directions specify, but I’ve never measured it precisely.
I water the flowers in the evening on hot days, after the sun has gone down, so it doesn’t evaporate the water. On scorching days like these, my children water them once midday, and I do it again in the evening. I always give them a lot of water to make sure they get exactly what they need. On rainy days, I don’t water them at all.
I remove the dried-out blossoms in the evening. I also turn the baskets regularly to help them grow evenly. I usually rotate them when the blooms begin clearly turning toward the south.
This week, I added wire and zip ties to reinforce the baskets because I’m not entirely sure how much weight the original pots and hangers can hold.
How long do you let the water sit before watering? Do you fertilize every time?
I have two smaller 45-liter tubs and one 80-liter tub filled with water outside. One watering session usually uses up one 45-liter tub. Once it’s empty, I place fertilizer at the bottom and refill it to aerate. So there’s fertilizer every time, and it sits for about a day to warm up.
How much time do you spend plucking flowers in the evening?
It takes me a couple of hours each evening because, in this heat, there’s more to remove than usual. On “normal” summer days, it takes an hour or two. I find it relaxing and a nice contrast to work, so it doesn’t feel like a chore. Often my husband will sit on the terrace with me, and we’ll talk about our day while I work.
Watering midday helps a lot because the baskets stay perkier, which makes plucking easier.
Have you tried not plucking them? Does it affect the blooms?
We were away for a few days, and my friend watered the flowers. I told her she didn’t need to remove any blooms. Because there was so much to take off in this heat, I spent the next week getting them back in “balance.” On normal summer days, skipping plucking doesn’t cause problems, but I’ve noticed that doing it every evening keeps the flowers beautiful. The baskets are always packed with buds.
What is your yard like in general? Any other favorite plants?
Our garden still needs a total makeover. We’ve been renovating the house, and next, we’ll move on to the yard. I have plenty of ideas, but until next summer, we’re happy with our terrace garden.
