[londongardener]

I had Field Scabious last year for the first time ever in hanging baskets. It did well and died down over winter.
It is all dry and dead now - should it come back or is no good?

Can anyone suggest something good for pollinators that will do well in hanging baskets?  Ideally something that can take me forgetting about watering it for a couple of days

[londongardener]

research paper help

Hello,

My wife has been growing Salvias in hanging baskets for years.

Are they easy to keep and do they attract bees?

[mrs bouquet]

How about nasturtiums, they seem to attract lots of wild life and are quite tolerant.    Perhaps next year you could get a packet of wild garden seeds and sprinkle them into a basket and see what happens.  Good luck, Mrs Bouquet

[londongardener]

How about nasturtiums, they seem to attract lots of wild life and are quite tolerant.    Perhaps next year you could get a packet of wild garden seeds and sprinkle them into a basket and see what happens.  Good luck, Mrs Bouquet

Thanks for that - what would you suggest is best buying them as plants or growing from seed?

[mrs bouquet]

I am just going to buy a packet of seeds today for nasturtium and pop them straight into a prepped basket .  I just push them in with my finger about 1 inch deep.    Likewise next year with wild seeds,  sprinkle them very lightly onto the basket and then lightly cover.    Good luck.   Mrs B

[New shoot]

I find nasturtiums come up on my allotment every year from seeds dropped by plants the previous year.  They are very uncomplaining plants.  If they are in the way I pull them up and I plant seeds direct where I want them as well.

Their only downfall is frost, so I never sow them early.  They grow so fast anyway, there is not much point.  You can eat the leaves and flowers (peppery like watercress) and pick the seeds when green to pickle.  They do attract black fly and green fly, so make sure you inspect your pickings carefully