What do I do with my hanging baskets now

[Cravingcake]

I have for the first time managed to plant and grow some lovely flowers - Lobelia, petunias and pansy type flowers in some hanging baskets all over spring and summer. Now they are on their last few flowers and definitely seen better days I have no idea what to do with them. I don’t think these plants grow back every year but I’m a proper newbie to this. Plus some have been attacked by slugs.

Do I take the plants out and dump them into the compost? What plants could I put in there now that will stay green (or glowering or at least alive) over winter?

Or do I empty them completely and store away for next summer? Any advice or help hugely appreciated.

• flowering not glowering

I empty and store mine, but you could swap them out for a mini conifer, ivy and some pansies.

Cyclamen are nice and easy to grow, they don’t trail though. I’m sure you will get lots of lovely suggestions 🌷

They can grow back next year if they are sheltered from frost. The pansy will be the easiest. If you don’t want the hassle, compost the lot and do some winter hanging baskets.

Some combination of pansies, violas, small cyclamen, small bulbs and maybe some Ivy can look nice and cheerful in winter through to spring.

Last year I emptied mine around end September and planted trailing pansies (Cool Wave). These took a while to get going but gave a fantastic display when they bloomed Feb/March and even carried on beyond. As I wanted to replant my baskets with summer bedding, I took the pansies out and put them in a shady spot at the back of the garden (partially buried) as I thought they may survive - which they have. I'm about to dig them up again and put them back in the baskets.

I swap mine for primroses and tete a tete with a bit of ivy.

Thank you everyone for the ideas, thinking I’ll try some ivy & maybe small bulbs and experiment with other plants to see what survives the best (and keep them hidden in the back garden until I know they are a success before graduating to the front on full display)