Use a moisture-retentive soil that consists of at least one third of peat moss. Equal parts of garden soil, sand, and peat moss is my preference, though sometimes I use pure, unshredded sphagnum moss for baskets of house plants. Moisten the soil before putting it in the basket, and keep the soil level about an inch below the top of the basket. Set roots directly in the soil, or sink potted plants to the pot rims in it. Plants grown in peat pots are excellent for these plantings. Their roots will grow directly through the pot walls and into the planting medium. Plants set directly into the soil do not dry out as rapidly as those left in clay pots. It is easier to develop a planting design when you do not have to reckon with solid pots. However, some gardeners find it cuts down planting time to insert clay pots into the planting medium. Then, if the basket needs refurbishing, it is easy to remove individual pots and insert new material.

   Plants that are uncrowded will develop more gracefully and will enjoy better health than those in thickly planted baskets. If color is wanted in a hurry, many blooming plants may be massed together in a basket, but the planting will not have the season-long beauty of a more sparsely furnished basket.

   When new plants are needed around the sides of a basket, remove them from their pots, and make small openings in the moss. Insert the plants, inclining them slightly upward. Work slowly and carefully when moving foliage and stems around wires or slats. Slip small pads of moistened moss against the wire parts touching the plants.

   Check baskets daily to see that soil is moist. During hot weather, baskets growing in sunny places may need twice-a-day watering. Those in shaded or wind-sheltered areas, like porches or lath houses, may need watering only every other day. If drippings are no problem, or cold water does not harm tender leaves, use the garden hose to moisten baskets. Otherwise, remove each basket and submerge it in a bucket of water. Leave it until the soil is thoroughly moistened. Then drain the basket until dripping ceases and return to its elevation.

   Fertilize hanging gardens about a month after planting, then follow with biweekly feedings. Nip off any seed pods that form. Prune or pinch back plants to make them grow sturdier and to give the hanging garden a more pleasing contour. Outdoors in the summer, and indoors in a sun-drenched window in winter, petunias make showy baskets. The key to having them continue blooming is to shear them periodically. For example, if they are cut back several inches in late July or early August, they will produce an abundant floral display all through autumn.