What are the Best Plants for Hanging Baskets?
What are the best plants for hanging baskets?
You want to have the perfect basket this season, you have all the intentions of pulling out all the stops to make your garden perfect. But choosing the selection of plants and flowers that you are to use is playing on your mind…
Your hanging basket is often the first thing you will see when entering your property, as it’s usually at eye level and you want to make that first impression special.
The question of, ‘What are the best plants to use?’ has a lot to do with personal preference. There a few other factors that should also be considered before choosing that right plant for you i.e how well plants perform in basket conditions, the location of where the hanging basket is kept and the time of the year.
However, there are numerous plants that are (by many) considered to be the most suitable for summer hanging baskets in the UK.
Begonia Plants
These plants are a favourite of many basket makers, with their long lasting bright flowers that can handle the hot summer days in comparison to more fragile plants. We find that begonias have the ability to give a lot of body to the basket with the large flowers and leaves.
There are numerous varieties to choose from ‘Non-stop’ mixed to Semperflorens.
These often prove irresistible to most gardeners as they are such a lovely plant to use in the home and the garden.
There are a large range of Geraniums to choose from, but the preferred option for hanging baskets is in many cases ‘Ivy Geraniums’.
They perform great in a moist soil but prefer not to be in direct sunlight, especially in the hottest part of the summer days.
Fuchsia Plants
With their stunning floral display, fuchsias are high on the list of perennial plants that you would just love to see in any hanging basket. Yet, you have to be careful of these, hanging location needs to be considered wisely, as they love the shade.
Lobelia
A lovely planting option for your hanging basket which performs better in the cooler months but we find an amazing trailing plant, especially when looking to add multiple plant types and need different textures. In the hotter months, don’t be afraid replace these with fresher plants if they get tired.
Petunia Plants
Long have these been a favourite for many hanging basket lovers, with their distinctly beautiful flower. The mass of bright colours will catch the eye of any passers-by.
Again, there are many variant’s to choose from with different colours and size flowering. We often advise that 3 Surfinia Petunia flowers evenly spaced in the top of a hanging basket gives a great trailing display.
These perform great in well-drained soil and are happy in the full glare of the sun.
Busy Lizzie (Impatiens)
These have been one of our favourites for many years. The busy lizzie balls that we create with our hanging basket liner are a real eye catcher. They are vibrant in colour and are a long lasting flower that will go and go until the frost comes.
If looked after they perform well in sun and shade and will give a dazzling display.
There are many plants that will give you amazing results for your hanging baskets that we haven’t mentioned above. Here is a quick guide of ours to try and categorize the type of results these may give you..
Plant Type Flower Type Habit
Begonia Semp. Variety of Colours Upright / Ball Baskets
Geranium upright Variety of Colours Good top filler
Sunpatiens Variety of Colours Top Fill or Ball (Fewer the plants the better)
Pansy Variety of colours Top Filler
Viola Variety of Colours Upright / Good Filler
Anagalis Blue flower/ pink eye Semi-trailing
Bacopa Blizzard Tiny white, Blue & Lilac Trailing
Brachycome Blue daisies/Yellow eye Trailing. Feathery foliage
Convolvulus Blue Flower Trailing. Trumpet Flower
Cuphea Compacta Bright Pink Flower Compact. Finely cut foliage
Chlorophytum Grey Trailing Foliage
Diascia Variety of Colours Semi-trailer. Long flowering.
Geranium Ivy leaf Variety of Colours Excellent and versatile trailer
Temptation Variety of Colours Long lasting trailing
Petunia. Surfinia Yellow Trailing
Each type of plant used will have its own preference with regards to water and light, so please ask advice from your grower or online.
As with all plants used, ensure that your hanging basket is of adequate quality to achieve the best performance. The Amateur’s Answer Hanging Basket Liner gives you the ideal solution with regards to drainage and moisture retention, to help plants develop well to their full potential.
For further advice on How to Care for Your Hanging Basket please Click here.
We hope that this has helped a little to make up your mind on what plants to use.