There is nothing more attractive in a garden than a cascading hanging basket filled with flowers. Planting plants in a hanging basket is not as difficult as you might think. The choice of plants to grow in a basket comes down to personal color taste and preference – do you want long hanging stems full of flowers that can grow 60 cm or more, or do you prefer something more modest?
Fuchsia
The exotic looking flowers of this amazing plant bloom throughout the summer. Fuchsias are perennial hanging plants that can be kept warm in the winter and hung again in the garden in the spring and summer! Fuchsias are a well-known and very popular plant, many species are cultivated and the hardy shrub produces wonderful hanging varieties that will easily fill a basket and grow at a great rate.
Bacopa
Often used as plant filler in mixed baskets. Bacopa is a valuable plant in hanging baskets, easy to grow and will stretch comfortably to over 45cm tall, opening with small blue or white flowers. These delicate looking yet incredibly robust plants are perfect for adding to flower baskets.
Lobelia
Lobelia cascades around the edges of hanging baskets like it was made for the task! Small flowers appear in such huge numbers on each plant that from a distance it can look like a single block of color.
Calibrachoa
Superficially very similar to petunias, these prolific flowering plants are becoming more popular every year. Long-blooming plants are as bright as petunias, but covered in much smaller, dainty flowers. Calibrachoa are tolerant of summer showers and will grow well in both sun and shade, making them ideal for growing in the dimmer area of the garden that needs bright colors.
Osteospermum
Osteospermum is naturally drought tolerant, making it ideal for baskets and pots. They can also be planted in hanging baskets, as their ability to spread quickly will cause them to go over the edge of the basket, giving them a spherical shape.
Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are easy to grow from seed and can grow up to 100cm in length. The color range of nasturtiums is phenomenal, from creamy white to maroon and plenty in between, including ones that actually change color!
Verbena
These easy to grow plants can provide a stunning combination of colors both in pots and baskets. They tend to grow more compactly and therefore form masses of flowers that flow gently along the edge of the container.
