Choosing the perfect hanging basket begins with deciding the overall style and mood you want to achieve. For an organic vibe, consider materials like natural woven nest baskets, wicker, willow, rattan, or even Kokedama moss balls. These porous, earthy vessels work much like containers and depending on shape, may require a plastic liner to protect them from rotting – especially if you plan to keep your plants in place beyond a single summer display. Remember to pinch out a few drainage holes at the bottom. If you lean towards something more contemporary, explore stylish wall-mounted hanging planters or containers crafted from sleek materials.
When it comes to planting, the possibilities are endless. Annuals offer a vibrant kaleidoscope of colour from summer right through to early autumn, perfect if you want a riot of hues. But there are no rules—you might prefer a specific colour scheme, like pure ivory whites paired with silver-green foliage, or deep purples accented by lime green. For a more natural look, try adding airy grasses like Isolepis cernua as the upright central feature, surrounded by the delicate, Oneothera Lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies,’ with trailing Erigeron karvinskianus and Lysimachia nummularia cascading over the edges.
The beauty of these Perennial plants is their versatility; when the season ends you can transfer them into planters or garden borders to come back the following growing season. You could also make them work a little harder and create a winter display by adding in pansies and cyclamen to keep your look fresh until spring.
Preparation is key to success. Most baskets benefit from a liner—sphagnum moss, wool moss, or a fitted coco-coir liner all work well. Soak the liner thoroughly, then fill with multipurpose container compost enriched with slow-release fertilizer and water- retaining granules or gel to keep moisture in. For moss liners, a trick is to place a circle of plastic (from the compost bag) at the bottom, black side down, to boost moisture retention.
Start by adding a few handfuls of compost to cover the roots of side-planted flowers. Introduce trailing and cascading plants through any holes in the basket or arrange them around the sides if there aren’t any. Position upright
plants in the centre, then finish with trailing plants around the edges. Soak the arrangement thoroughly, making sure you use a fine spray or gentle shower setting on your watering hose attachment, this mimics delicate rain, which prevents the water pressure from washing away the potting soil, flattening your plants, or damaging delicate petals.
Water daily, soaking them until the water runs out of the bottom. Feed weekly with a high potassium liquid feed such as tomato feed, every 1/2weeks throughout the summer. If you are using Perennial plants, adding a slow-release fertiliser to the potting compost and a liquid feed twice during the growing season should be sufficient. To get the most out of your arrangement for as long as possible, pinch off faded flowers regularly and they will bloom again.
