There are several bags of blossoming impatiens hanging in the bonsai workshop. Instead of potting in typical hanging baskets, the impatiens are planted in huge, black rubbish bags. And because the impatiens are blooming so vigorously, the rubbish bags are mostly covered with impatiens flowers and can hardly be seen.
These hanging impatiens bags look so pretty and easy to maintain that I really wanted to make one of my own once I spotted them in the bonsai workshop. And here, after getting some instructions and advices from Teacher Wong, I have made my own last week
First challenge: Finding a thick and strong garbage bag. Once I got the container for my plants, I filled it up with potting mix and tied it up tightly. Then, with a cutter, I made a few openings for my impatiens.
Make sure not to make the openings too close to each other, for we want to give the impatiens enough space to grow and flower.
I have potted six young impatiens in this 30 cm x 60 cm bag. As Teacher Wong advised, before hanging up the bag, I left it laid flat for several days, so to give the impatiens a chance to root firmly in the potting mix.
The impatiens have been rooted well in the potting mix since a few days after potted. Yet, I didn’t move the impatiens but only till the plants needed to water again (which was 10 days later). Since I couldn’t find a safe way to hang up this heavy bag of impatiens on my balcony (around 18 lbs when the potting mix is more or less dry :P), I put it on top of my balcony table,and let it lean against the corner.
So, this is my impatiens bag. I hope it will grow healthy and flower vigorously in the coming months