No matter how small your space is, there’s always enough room for a hanging basket filled with colorful plants. Let’s look at some of the best plants for hanging baskets.
Depending on what plants fill the hanging baskets, you may end up spending hours watching hummingbirds and butterflies pollinating the flowers and beautifying your yard.
Not all flowers do well in hanging baskets. But I’m here to share with you my favorite plants to add to your hanging containers.
Beautiful Hanging Basket Flower Ideas (Short List)
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Choose fast-growing colorful varieties.
There is a wide range of annual plants available that are suitable for use in hanging baskets. Many are offered in a huge variety of colors and flower sizes.
- Petunias always make a spectacular display in hanging baskets. They have a good trailing habit and will produce large, colorful flowers throughout the spring and summer.
- For a mass of trailing green foliage coupled with hundreds of tiny, colorful flowers, add the Lobelia species to your hanging basket displays. Lobelia flowers, especially the true blue ones, are mesmerizing!
- Trailing varieties of Geranium are always popular. And nurseries may also offer pansies or osteospermum with a trailing habit for hanging baskets.
Here are some ideas with pictures, so you can envision your basket.
1. Ivy Geranium (Pelargonium peltatum)
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Ivy geraniums are one of the prettiest flowers you can plant in your hanging basket because both their blossoms and foliage are attractive. Among the petite ivy-shaped leaves, sprout clusters of deeply colored flowers that last the length of summer.
Ivy geraniums are available in a variety of colors and attract butterflies, dragonflies, as well as the occasional hummingbird.
2. Lady’s Eardrops (Fuchsia)
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Fuchsias are among the most popular hanging basket plants. They quickly spread throughout the planter, and their blossoms spill over the sides of the basket.
Requiring little more than a weekly watering, fuchsias are well-suited to live in a hanging basket. Their blossoms are brightly colored, commonly bearing blossoms with a neon pink outside and deep purple inside.
Learn more about growing fuchsia flowers here.
3. Wax Begonias (Begonias)
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If you have a shady spot on your porch that needs a pop of color, you’ll definitely want some begonia flowers in your hanging basket.
Producing clusters of adorable blossoms of varied colors, the Begonia makes the perfect plant for your hanging basket.
4. Million Bells (Calibrachoa)
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Commonly referred to as “Million Bells” this sun-loving plant can populate a hanging basket alone or in conjunction with other species. This plant produces small clusters of blossoms that stand out beautifully against its petite leaves.
Available in colors ranging from light pink, purple, violet, blue, and brownish-orange, the calibrachoa makes an excellent choice to accent your hanging baskets.
5. Petunias (Petunia)
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Trailing petunias come in a variety of attractive colors and produce a mild, sweet aroma. The blossoms will last all summer without demanding much attention from a gardening standpoint. They need light feeding and watering once every two weeks depending upon sun exposure.
This plant looks great when combined with another trailing plant to create a stream of color and scent.
Should You Buy or Create Your Own Hanging Basket?
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I prefer creating my own baskets. It’s fun to look for the right container and think up combinations of flowers that would look good. If you like creating your own too, make sure to buy flower plugs or small plants. It would take quite a bit of time to grow them from seed unless you are experienced in growing your own annuals from seed.
These plants will begin to grow and flower almost immediately after planting and are likely to result in a better display throughout the season.
BUT, sometimes I just can’t help myself if I see a really well put together hanging basket at my local nursery. It costs more, of course, but you have instant gratification!
Edible Hanging Baskets
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Add a twist to your hanging basket by including edible plants. Trailing tomatoes such as Tumbling Tom do very well in hanging baskets. You’ll enjoy harvesting the tomatoes throughout the summer.
This is a variety of tomatoes that’s easy to grow yourself from seed: start them off on a windowsill or in a seed propagator in February.
If you’d like to grow strawberries in containers, you could try planting a few spare runners on the side of your basket. Or just buy a few young plants from the nursery. Strawberries add a splash of early-season color and do well in baskets away from the slugs and snails that plague them otherwise.
How to Care for Your Hanging Basket
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Let’s look at a few final tips for a thriving basket:
- It’s vital for a successful hanging basket to be watered regularly, as there is relatively little soil to hold any moisture. Daily watering is likely to be necessary throughout the hotter months of the summer.
- Compost with added moisture-retaining components can help to ensure plants thrive in a hanging basket.
- Feed your hanging basket weekly to improve flowering and growth. Use fresh compost in your hanging basket each year for the best results.
- Many flowering varieties require regular removal of old blooms in order to encourage the growth of more new flowers, thus extending the flowering season.
By choosing varieties that do well in hanging baskets and following these basic tips, you can enjoy the beauty of flower hanging from your roof, porch, and beyond.
