Hanging baskets flowers are great for adding colour and interest to courtyards, patios, walls or open corridors. No matter the season, you will be able to show off your hanging baskets with a show of colourful flowers in the spring and summer and evergreens in the winter.

Choosing the Location

You can brighten up dull walls with hanging wall baskets. You will need a strong bracket to support the basket away from the wall. Also take into consideration the amount of shade that the wall gives and choose your plants accordingly.

You can hang baskets from pergolas, lampposts, porches, or anywhere you can safely hang one. Just make sure that the location is not too windy. A great place to show off your hanging baskets is by hanging one either side of your front door.

Types of Baskets

The traditional baskets were made from galvanised wire but now there are many types available. For a traditional look you can get plastic covered wire baskets that are more durable. More common nowadays are the many plastic baskets; some have drip trays underneath and others have planting pockets on the sides.

You can also get tiered baskets – like 2 tiered or 3 tiered ones. You have to plan out the planting of these tiered baskets more carefully. The lowest basket should have the longest trailing plants, the middle one should have plants that cover the sides and almost down to the top of the lower basket, and so on.

Lining the Baskets

Traditionally sphagnum moss was the material of choice but I would avoid using it if it was collected from the wild as it is not a sustainable product. There are many other materials that you can find at your local garden centre like coconut fibre, foam liners, and black plastic for example.

Planting Your Hanging Baskets

You can buy a special compost mix that is specially prepared for baskets. It is light weight and has water retention agents and slow release fertilizers added in. Start with a layer of this compost in the bottom of the basket and then start adding trailing plants in the sides. Keep filing in around the root balls as you continue up the basket and leave about 1 inch to the rim of the basket.

After planting and watering the hanging basket, place it outside in a sheltered location once the risk of frost has passed. Once established you can then hang the basket in its permanent position. You need to water the basket daily and give the plants a weekly feed of liquid fertilizer. Remember to dead-head regularly to encourage new growth and flowers.

In the late autumn you can change the plants for winter ones. Start by under-planting with spring bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and iris so that when the winter plants have finished you will have a beautiful spring basket. Some ideas for winter plants are violas, winter pansies, heathers, dwarf conifers and trailing ivy.

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