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Saddlebag

Balcony PlantersOnly have a balcony as your garden space? These

no-sew, easy-to-make saddlebag planters will give

you lots of planting space for flowers, herbs, and

edibles, and they look stylish and colorful, too.

TIME IT RIGHT We used a selection of herbs, soft fruit, and edible flowers that can be planted in early spring and summer. Add spring bulbs for color and small evergreen shrubs for year-round interest.

ToolS & equipmenToilcloth, single-sided

tape measure

metal rivet kit for fabrics, with post long enough to penetrate several layers of the oilcloth

hammer

plastic-coated images in attractive designs (we cut them from a woven carrier bag) (optional)

scissors

waterproof PVA glue or superglue, jar & paintbrush (optional)

hanging basket liner, cut from a roll

water-retaining gel

multipurpose potting mix

watering can

planT liSTEnglish lavender

French lavender ‘Papillon’

Nemesia denticulata ‘Confetti’

Pelargonium ‘Attar of Roses’

Pelargonium graveolens ‘Minor’

rosemary

sage ‘Tricolor’

strawberry ‘Elan’

Viola ‘Blue Beacon’

1Use a piece of oilcloth measuring 3ft 3¼in x 4ft

(100 x 120cm) and fold in half neatly along the shorter edge with the pattern on the outside.

2Fold in one of the short ends by ¾in (2cm) and repeat twice

more to create a seam.

74 Let It All Hang

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Project Steps

3Rivet the seam in place, starting 4in (10cm) in from the edge.

To make a rivet hole in the cloth, place the plastic disc underneath and hammer the recessed end of the hole punch through the cloth.

4Push the rivet post through the hole from underneath and tap

the cap in place with the hammer. Add three more evenly spaced rivets to the seam, finishing 4in (10cm) in from the other side. Repeat steps 2–4 at the opposite short end.

5 Fold in the riveted ends, leaving enough material in

the middle to allow for the width of your railing, so the bags can hang comfortably with the tops of the pockets just below the railing.

6Flip the cloth over. Fold in a long side twice, including the

pocket flaps, to make a 1¼in (3cm) seam. Weight the seam down to hold it as you rivet it in place.

7Repeat with the other long side. Flip the cloth back over

and you have made your saddlebag planters. Repeat to make as many as you need to complete the look.

8For extra ornamentation, you can cut out some designs from

decorative reusable shopping bags to add to the saddlebags.

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Let It All Hang 77

Care AdviceWatering Containers above ground level are more exposed and plants tend to dry out more easily, so water often in the growing season, especially if hot and sunny, and while plants are establishing.

Feeding Add diluted liquid fertilizer to the water once or twice a month in the main growing season. You can also mist plants in hot weather, but not when in direct hot sunlight because the leaves might scorch.

General care Remove any damaged, diseased, or dying foliage throughout the growing period. Some plants are not frost hardy and will die back if left outside in winter. Reduce watering in winter to minimal. Top off or change the potting mix in spring.

9Glue the designs on to the saddlebags with a waterproof

PVA glue or superglue and then leave to dry.

11Hang the bags in their final locations. Remove plants from their pots, tease

out any circling roots, then position them in the pockets. Fill around with potting mix and firm in. Water thoroughly.

10Take a length of hanging basket

liner and line each of the planting pockets, cutting the liner to size with scissors. It should set just below the lip of the pocket. This will help keep the potting mix moist in the pockets. To conserve moisture further, add ¼oz (5g) of water-retaining gel to every 1 gallon (5 liters) of potting mix.

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