Kitchen Garden Forum

Normally I line my baskets with Sphagnum Moss but my usual supplier hasn't ordered any yet because he reckons he won't sell it because it will be expensive this year and 'Joe Public' will buy the cheaper liners.I don't want to use them if possible and wondered if there is an alternative so that I have a natural look to the basket.

Sheep's wool is fine, too. If you can get to some pasture with sheep, check the hedges/dry stone walls/wire netting for bits of wool or even the ground and you will find enough!

Hi Monika and Snooky,
I have used 'Shoddy' for many years which is waste wool and has been dyed a very natural green especially for use in hanging baskets.
It came from a supplier in Yorkshire and, in my opinion, is better than Moss.
JB

Hi,
Is it possible to use the moss from the lawn - since if that is the case I have more than enough to supply many hanging baskets if I just get it scarified.....

Hilary

Hi Hilary,
Moss in the lawn Tch-Tch-Tch!
I'm a fine one to talk because if I were to scarify my lawns there would something approaching a scorched-earth catastrophe.
JB.

there is plenty of moss in the shady lanes round here but these days taking it would be classed as theft, however my front garden which faces north has a stone wall in shade that has grown some nice moss, I will probably use that. The sheep wool sounds a good natural alternative, plenty of romney sheep around here.

More to the point an offence under the Wildlife & Countryside act(s).

In the legal sense helping yourself to moss is the same as helping yourself to a rare orchid plant.

Plus the ecological impact of gardeners helping themselves to resources in the countryside or "public" spaces should be considered, it is ecologically as bad as peat extraction.

Coir liners available at Poundland - 50p each. I used these last year and they were great.

Planning to employ them for large hanging baskets for tumbling tomatoes this year, purchased from Wilkinsons. Better quality ones, increased size and plastic coated at £4.68 than basic 14 inch wire baskets with minimal coating at £3.99.

Part of my roof is north facing and I get quite a lot of moss off that. Maybe I'll have a go at lining a hanging basket with it - there won't be enough for more than one, though, sop poundland it is.