We have reached that point in the summer when the hanging flower baskets have died or are no longer blooming.  So what is an ecofriendly solution to throwing out the plastic hanger/basket?  Replant!!  The genius of this is that at this late date the nurseries are clearing out the inpatients and other flowers. I will now tell you the secret to planting an ecofriendly hanging plant to spruce up your front or backyard.

What you need:

• Hanging plastic basket
• 12-16 flowers (usually they come in 4 packs so you need 3 or 4 of them)
• Spade
• Top soil

Instructions:

1. Using your spade, remove the dead or wilted flowers from the hanging basket and compost them
2. Remove at least 1/3rd of the soil from the planter and sprinkle it over your lawn, garden or flowerbed (you never need to waste soil)
3. Fill the empty third of the basket with top spoil and mix it into the old soil that you are replenishing nutrients in the soil.
4. Plant the flower on an angel pointing out of the planter starting with the outside. Plant them as close as the amount of flowers you have will allow still leaving 3 or 4 for the inside
5. Plant a few flowers in the middle of the planter so that it will fill out
6. Water and hang.

This is an ecofriendly solution to dead hanging flower baskets and an easy way to beautify your space.  Remember that you can save your hanging basket from year to year and continually replant flowers with the above steps.  By re-planting this hanging basket, it is an ecofriendly solution to having to try and empty out and recycle the plastic basket.  Some recycling programs deem them to big and then they end up in the garbage.  Hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and that your space remains an ecofriendly one.