By REBECCA SLOAN

By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
No matter who your mom is, you can bet your bottom dollar that a Mother's Day hanging basket will make her smile.
"Hanging baskets are always a traditional favorite at Mother's Day. They are the kind of gift that you can't go wrong with," said Philip Steiner, of Mellinger's in North Lima.
Especially when there are so many varieties and colors to choose from.
Whether mom is a brand-new mom with a newborn babe; a gray-haired mom with grown children; a mom who stays home and bakes cookies; or a mom who rides the corporate fast track, you can find the right hanging basket to suit her fancy.
A few new favorites
Steiner said New Guinea impatiens, wave petunias and a plant called million bells have emerged as new favorites in the world of Mother's Day hanging baskets.
"Unlike regular impatiens, the New Guinea impatiens like plenty of sun instead of shade," Steiner said, adding, "Wave petunias were introduced about five or six years ago. They look like a traditional petunia, but they are easier to take care of because you don't have to deadhead them for them to continue to bloom all summer."
The New Guinea impatiens come in a rainbow of colors, and wave petunias come in red, pink, white and lavender.
Million bells earned its name because it appears to be covered with "millions" of tiny flowers, Steiner said.
"Million bells comes in lavender-blues and reds," Steiner said.
Brian Adgate of Adgate's Garden Center in Cortland said many of his customers want strawflower hanging baskets for Mother's Day.
"Strawflower is a new favorite among customers. It is colorful and drought-tolerant, and the flowers can be used in dried floral arrangements," Adgate said.
Other new favorites among Adgate's customers include: Bicopa, a trailing plant that produces tiny white flowers and plumbago, which produces tiny purple flowers.
Most flowering plants enjoy plenty of sunshine, but don't place your hanging baskets in scorching heat.
"The general rules of thumb with hanging baskets are that most types need some sun to bloom, but they don't need blazing heat. They also don't need too much shade, unless they are shade-loving plants like ferns or impatiens," Steiner said.
Hanging baskets also need frequent watering, but do not overwater.
"Although hanging baskets dry out fast, a lot of people kill their hanging baskets by overwatering them," Steiner said.
Both Steiner and Adgate recommend mixing a product called Soil Moist into the dirt of the hanging basket.
Soil Moist will help the hanging basket retain water that might otherwise just trickle out of the bottom of the pot. It's available at most garden centers.
Adgate said the top inch of soil in a hanging basket should be dry but the remaining soil should be moist.
"You can also place a saucer under the pot to catch some of the water," Adgate said.
Hanging baskets also need regular fertilizing.
"Every two weeks is good," Steiner said.
Adgate recommends fertilizing at every other watering.
"Soil nutrients are leached away faster than they would be if plants were planted in the ground," Adgate explained.
Keep plants trimmed and deadhead hanging basket blooms to keep baskets looking neat and tidy, and bring baskets indoors if the temperatures dip lower than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Old favorites
There are also a few types of plants that have endured as traditional Mother's Day hanging basket favorites. These include: fuchsias; impatiens; petunias; begonias; geraniums; ferns; and ivy.
A popular approach these days is to mix some of these all-time favorite plants together in one pot and create an artsy looking hanging basket that boasts different colors and textures.
Potting plants in a unique container -- such as a wrought iron basket lined with sphagnum moss -- will only add to the hanging basket's beauty.
Another tip: If the hanging basket includes perennial ivies such as English ivy or vinca, the ivy can be planted in the ground at the end of the season.