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Enjoy The Best Colors Of Summer With A Hanging Basket
Whether you have a large, open green area or just a few square feet of porch on the front of your home, a hanging basket is the ideal way to add a burst of beautiful color to your living space.
These gorgeous arrangements can be purchased at most stores, but if you can’t find one with a look that you love it’s easier than you might think – with a little bit of planning – to build your own hanging basket.
Build Your Hanging Basket In 3 Easy Steps
Lining
Compost
Plants
If you are using a standard wire hanging basket from a nursery or craft store, it will need to be lined. You can buy readymade cardboard liners and fibrous materials sold for the purpose, but you can also use organic material like heavy grass and moss from your lawn. Aim to cover the inside of the hanging basket with a half-inch thick later of material, and then fill about halfway with compost.
A multipurpose compost is fine for a basket that you’re only expecting your plants to hang around in for one year, but you’ll want to find something specialized if you’re planning to transition to winter growing plants in the fall. Also consider mixing in water-retaining granules to minimize the chore of watering and help a hanging basket tolerate direct sunlight and hot temperatures.
When you arrange the plants in the hanging basket, it is usually easiest to start with one central plant to create structure and make an impact. Surround that with trailing plants to cover the sides of the basket, particularly if you are using an unattractive wire or plastic frame. Make sure you choose flowers that work well together with similar bloom times and complementary colors.
Once all the plants are in, fill in around the rootballs with more compost, compressing the soil gently.
The Best Flowers For A Hanging Basket
Here are 10 beautiful, low-maintenance flowers that will grow well together and build a beautiful hanging basket.
Begonia Tuberhybrida
These large blooms are one of the most popular hanging basket plants, providing a full season of color. These flowers will bloom no matter the weather, bringing color to even the gloomiest day with their blossoms and greenery trailing an impressive 18 inches.
Petunias
The color variations of petunias available have expanded widely in recent years. They are equally impressive in large blocks of a single color, or in mixed combinations.
Fuchsias
These exotic looking flowers drape themselves over the edge of your hanging basket all summer long in beautiful shades of pink and purple. They’re also hardy and will survive over the winter if kept in a frost-free place.
Bacopa
Often used as a filler plant in mixed displays, bacopa is a beautiful addition to hanging baskets. Smothered in blue and white flowers, these beautiful plants will drape up to 18 inches over the hanging basket edge.
Calibrachoa
A miniature version of the petunia, the popularity of these flowers in a hanging basket is relatively new. The small flowers grow well in both sun and shade and require little ongoing maintenance.
Geranium
These traditional summer plants are commonly found in flower beds, but do well in hanging baskets and can tolerate missing the occasional watering.
Lobelia
Producing colorful blooms all season, this beautiful plant will continue to flower all summer long even in the hottest weather.
Osteospermum
These beautiful daisy-like flowers are naturally drought tolerant, which makes them ideal for a hanging basket. They spread quickly and grow close together, which will help them to form a ball shape once they start hanging over the edge of your basket.
Nasturtium
These beautiful flowers are easy to start from seed and can drape nearly three feet over the edge of a hanging basket. One variety – the nasturtiuim chameleon – even has blooms that will change from yellow to pink over a few days.
Verbena
These plants are compact growers and will form masses of flowers that gently spill over the edge of a hanging basket. They are an excellent option to surround a taller, central plant.
Try Growing Edibles In A Hanging Basket
If you’re looking for an easy way to grow edibles in a small space, there are a number of plants which will happily thrive in a hanging basket. Consider starting a small herb garden, or go with plants that naturally drape themselves over a cage or trellis like tomatoes, cucumber, and even dwarf varieties of squash or melon.
Build Your Next Hanging Basket With SummerWinds
Whether you’re looking for a gift idea, or want to decorate your own living space, SummerWinds has an incredible variety of both edible and flowering plants for your next hanging basket. Spend time wandering our options and exploring different arrangements with help from any of our gardening experts.
About SummerWinds Nursery: SummerWinds Garden Centers is a leading high-end retailer of garden and nursery products. Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, SummerWinds operates retail nurseries in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area, and in Silicon Valley, California, making it one of the largest independent retail nursery companies in the west. SummerWinds appeals to both the serious and casual gardeners, with a broad selection of premium gardening products and a friendly and knowledgeable staff.
