The Garden Corner prides itself on being the top shop for hanging baskets. From the World’s Largest Hanging Basket spinning in the center of the store to the numerous cities that line the streets with our Passion baskets and beyond. With years of experiments and experience, we may boast that it is our right to claim ourselves as the Hanging Basket Experts of the West Coast. This self-proclaimed title is not something we take lightly. As the season winds down, we are looking forward to the future: how can we do this better? What will make the maintenance and care of a hanging garden even easier?
So far, we have created special designs to include a water reservoir allowing forgetful gardeners, such as myself, a buffer zone during these heat waves. Then, we took the time to curate the perfect cocktail of fertilizer and bug control to mitigate the external factors that could limit the quality of our beloved blooms. Finally, we took the time to create a four-page document that contains the most detailed and explicit instructions on proper care to make your baskets. Including minute minuscule details such as the exact amount of water a hanging basket requires. Our practiced care plan allows us to enjoy our baskets through the end of October (that means after Halloween).
So, naturally, being the professional basket gardener I am, the baskets in front of my house started failing in August. I have no excuse. I did not follow any of the proper steps. I wish I could blame it on the drip system I have yet to install. Or even better, on the automatic fertilizer system sitting in my garage still boxed, waiting to pump all that good fertilizer and bug control into my basket. Even a lack of beautiful weather would be a welcome justification. Sadly, this is one failure I will have to confess is all my own. Even with all of the right tools at my disposal, it is time for my baskets to come down.
Before finally arriving at this conclusion, I went through a series of emotions. Rationalizing that even if my baskets were not crispy brown, I would still be emptying them into the yard debris, preparing my front porch for fall. It is not a failure, but rather a solid sign to change with the season. Knowing that these emotions just might strike a chord in someone else, I have decided to share and reference these mental gymnastics as the five stages of fall. They are as follows-
Relief
The most immediate reaction is an overwhelming sense of relief. Finally, there is one less thing to worry about. The stressors of keeping your basket alive (or the stressor of having a less-than-ideal basket hanging) are gone. No more last-minute watering, no more watching closely for signs of infestation. All that care is a thing of the past.
Appreciation
There is a sense of cleanliness that envelops the space after that breath of relief. Then comes the moment you can thank your basket for the season and the joy it brought all those around you. The pots get stacked, the porch swept, everything once again tidy. At that moment, I find myself saying, “Man, that was a great basket!”
Loneliness
Then the orderly space starts to feel a little more vacant. Rather than enjoying shipshape and fond memories of what used to be there, an emptiness begins to creep in. The lone hook stares at you with a feeling of longing. Maybe the siding on your house is not quite as beautiful as you remember. For some, there might be a coldness that borders their entryway, deeming it somewhat less welcoming.
Excitement
This is the stage that is not experienced by all. This is the moment that the decision to put up new plants (or pick the colors for the next year). Preparing for the transition. Pumpkins, grasses, and mums, oh my! Planters, pots, and baskets galore!
Acceptance
The final stage is the calm that comes with knowing that all will be well. Summer is great for those large, impressive blooms, and there is a time to enjoy them. For now, fall holds a special place in my gardening heart as there are so many more options for color and texture. Grasses, heuchera, and shrubs that choose to show off some exquisite coloring in the season.
