This antique French hanging basket gets a makeover with every season. At the moment, Russian sage is making a big ethereal statement in the gallery.

Brimming with elegant silvery green aromatic spires of lavender-blue tubular flowers – 8 one-gallon nursery pots, if you’re counting – the potted plants were too heavy for the basket. To cut down weight, I removed them from their plastic nursery containers, eliminated some of the soil, popped the root balls into individual plastic bags and loosely tied around the base of the plants. When the blooms begin to fade, I’ll plant them outside where they’ll grow bigger with each passing year, attract bees and butterflies to the garden and will provide a bounty of fragrant stems and blooms for creating arrangements.

Happy gardening!

Love, Nora

12 Comments

  1. Nan, Odessa, DE on August 19, 2016 at 6:24 am

    Thank you for introducing me to this plant!
    How tall will they grow at maturity?

    Wish we could get your pictures full screen.
    OR am I missing how to do this?

  2. Victoria on August 19, 2016 at 8:16 am

    So how do you water this lovely ladies? And how often? I am assuming you put them in the sink or take the, outside. I love you unexpected use of flowers Nora. So pretty!

  3. Kaye on August 19, 2016 at 8:37 am

    Love Russian sage. I don’t cut mine now maybe I will. Looks so wonderful.

  4. Garden, Home and Party on August 19, 2016 at 10:43 am

    I’m especially fond of using nursery plants indoors for the very reason you’ve mentioned…once they begin to fade you can plant them in the garden. Russian sage is a favorite. Any blue/lavender flowering plant is always a favorite with me.
    Enjoy your weekend.
    Karen

  5. Dawn on August 19, 2016 at 11:42 am

    Love this! Can you dry Russian sage like lavender?

  6. Judy on August 19, 2016 at 12:53 pm

    So the sage is in soil? How do I water if in basket? And have no clue where to buy the sage of the basket???

  7. Jane wasniewski on August 19, 2016 at 7:01 pm

    I just planted two Russian sage plants as I just love it and I seem to kill lavender, so this is my little way of skirting that problem. love your blog. So special and elegant and yet down to earth

  8. Maggie Bonanomi on August 19, 2016 at 7:36 pm

    Love to read your posts!

  9. Linda Hardwick on August 20, 2016 at 7:17 am

    Love Russian sage and I just planted some around some old stones in my back yard. I love the silvery green color with the lavender blue of the bloom. I love every post you share and your home is such an inspiration to me. I wish you had a hardback book of all your beautiful seasons that you share of your home, I would love to have to look back through with the changing of the seasons for decorating ideas for my own home. Thanks for sharing your beautiful home!

  10. Allison on August 20, 2016 at 10:24 am

    How lovely! What a wonderful idea! I must do this myself in my front entry. Thanks for the inspiration once again Nora!

  11. Mary Y on August 20, 2016 at 1:13 pm

    Our bees LOVE Russian Sage! Your basket display is gorgeous…and a great idea! I’m going to try a display in an old Adirondack pack basket!

  12. Cindy on July 12, 2017 at 3:17 pm

    Can you please tell me where to find a lovely basket just like yours , I love it !!! Thank you ?

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