Any avid gardener will know that there's nothing quite like a patio or garden that is embellished with a hanging basket. The overflowing blooms are vibrant in colour and gleam in the sun, providing an absolute feast for the eyes.
The first step to achieving a beautiful flower display is choosing the right plant for your hanging basket, but this is where things start to get a little tricky.
Flowers suitable for hanging baskets need to be top-heavy, growing outwards and just low-hanging enough to spill over the basket gracefully. For obvious reasons, colourful blooms are also preferred when it comes to hanging baskets, to make sure your display leaves a lasting impression.
To make your gardening adventures a little bit easier, we've made a list of the best plants for hanging baskets and where to find them. To cater to different preferences, we've included both plant plugs that you can plant yourself, as well as pre-planted hanging baskets for the busy gardener.
Plants best suited to hanging baskets
Fuchsia
Shaped like a pendant and available in a host of vibrant pinks and purples, fuchsias make wonderful plants for hanging baskets. They're a plant that needs shade and flourishes in cooler climates.
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Verbena
Commonly found in tea or essential oils, verbena has natural stress-relieving properties. They make great plants for hanging baskets as they're easy to grow and combine beautifully with other blooms.
Lobelia
These small, vibrant flowers will make an impression in any display. They come in the most striking electric blues hues, flower for the whole summer season and prefer direct sunlight.
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Begonia
If you're planning on placing your basket in a shady spot, then begonias are a perfect choice. The bright flowers maintain their vitality all through the summer and are known to grow well in baskets.
Petunia
A hugely popular choice for hanging baskets, petunias are voluminous, bloom well and come in a host of intense colours that are sure to pop.
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The best plants for hanging baskets
1 of 810 Hanging Basket Summer Plug Plants
Combining petunias, fuchsias, geraniums and seven more beautiful blooms, this is the perfect hanging basket plant mix. Included are both trailing and upright plug plants to ensure a well proportioned and structured basket, full of life, colour and vibrancy. Review: "Having bought plug plants for many years from other nurseries, I can honestly say these plants are the best I've ever purchased online. The plants are really well-packed with the bonus of individual adhesive printed plant labels to use when potting on the plugs. Since my first purchase, I've bought three more packs."
2 of 810 x Hanging Basket and Patio Mixed Summer Collection
Popular for good reason, this collection contains the most beautifully combined summer plants that are made for hanging baskets. The pack contains a mix of different plug plants with at least four plant varieties including geranium, fuchsia, verbena, nemesia, petunia, diascia and many more. Review: "Ordered three packs of these, very pleased. All healthy, all well rooted and all with good growth, would highly recommend. The plants were well packed in excellent condition, I am a repeat customer and will buy again from this company."
3 of 8Fuchsia Trailing 20cm Pre-Planted Garden Flowers
If you're a busy gardener, then this mix of stunning blooms is already potted into a hanging basket, ready for you to decorate your garden with. The gently cascading stems make for a wonderful display and the delicate flowers add a touch of elegance. Note that fuchsias don't do well in hot climates, but work great if you're along the coast or in a region with cool summers.Review: "This is a beautiful hanging basket that arrived in great condition and continues to blossom and is now even more attractive."
4 of 8Petunia 'Surfinia' Collection
Available as plug plants or pre-planted and ready to go, this beautiful arrangement of petunias is bursting in a cascade of brilliant colours that will complement your garden wonderfully. Petunias are weather-resistant and versatile with long trailing stems, making them the perfect plant for hanging baskets.Review: "Good strong plants, really healthy looking. Very pleased with these."
5 of 8Begonia x Tuberhybrida 'Illumination Mixed'
If you're worried about how your blooms will fare against British weather, then begonias are a great choice for you due to their durability. They are available pre-planted in a basket for less hassle on your end - just find the perfect hanging spot, and your patio or garden is summer-ready.
6 of 8Lobelia 'Cascade Improved Mixed'
With these blooms, you'll get a long-lasting cascading colour that'll last a full season. Lobelia is a fantastic option for hanging baskets due to the intensity of the purple, blue and white tones that will sweep through and liven up your outdoor space.
7 of 8Verbena Plants - Trailing Mix
Verbena plants are so pretty, they were practically made for decorating your garden and patio. This trailing mix contains the perfect amount of flower and filler for a voluminous look, making for a wonderful looking hanging basket.
8 of 8Geranium 'Balcon Mix'
Ready-planted into rattan baskets, these pink and red geraniums are simply dazzling. They're tolerant, easy to grow and will spill over your basket, making for a stunning display.
When should you start hanging baskets?
April or May are generally the best months to plant your baskets, as long as there is no risk of frost.
How many plants should I put in my hanging basket?
The general rule is one plant per inch, but this might depend on the type of plants you are growing. If your blooms are especially strong when it comes to growth, you might want to reduce this number by a smidge.
When should I water my hanging basket?
During the summer, we recommend watering your hanging basket once a day, early in the morning.
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