Yes, while on the subject of baskets, have you ever wondered how those wonderful, perfectly ball-shaped Busy Lizzie baskets have been created? 
I certainly have!! Well, one day I just happened to catch our Society's good friend Mike Oxtoby working at it - so let's hear it from the expert.

It is most certainly NOT done by planting up one basket, then another one and tipping this second one with the aid of a piece of card upside down onto the first basket, then carefully trying to remove the card.  Many have tried this method and failed miserably, as it proved just about impossible to keep the thus 'created' dome watered!!!!

Mike lines his baskets in the usual way, then inserts the impatiens plugs in layers through the sides of the basket, using loads of plantlets, about one plug to every two inches. Several rows, right up to the brim.
The basket is filled in with compost and……….an upturned 5" dwarf pot with the bottom cut off is placed in the centre of the top of the basket. This is also filled with compost and planted up with 4 more impatiens plantlets.
The top is then further planted up with an outer ring of plugs which will tend to grow outwards, and an inner ring, which will grow upwards, hiding the centre pot in the process. Again, no skimping on the number of plugs used, one every two inches or so. We are talking of 40-50 per 12" basket.

Now sometime during the summer months you ought to visit the Oxtoby Fuchsia Nursery to admire their fuchsia stock plants in full flower. Flanking the pathway to the greenhouses they are stood out on a 6ft wide gravel bed, - a wonderful sight and a good opportunity to see some lesser know varieties in bloom. And then there is Mike's beloved, grand old Thalia, it's massive, planted in a pot the size of a large dustbin!
When you do go, on your way keep your eyes open for the wonderful perfectly ball-shaped impatiens baskets all over the neighbourhood - now you know where they came from!!    CD