Hanging baskets and flower beds

[Aug12]

Hi everyone,

I have a beautiful porch with two hanging basket brackets either side and every year I’ve said to myself, I’m going to make a hanging basket with gorgeous flowers.. I never do 🤦‍♀️ So this year I’m on a mission to make one. Question is, what flowers are good to put in this? I want a ‘pop’ of lots of different colours if possible? Any tips/advice to someone that’s never made one before?

also looking for ideas on what to plant in flowering bed? Low maintenance and hard to kill if possible, I am a complete gardening novice here.

I'm in the same position and know very little but I think I'm going to try trailing begonias in my hanging baskets.

If you’re a real beginner then you can buy selections for hanging baskets at garden centres. Make sure whatever you buy you water very regularly and feed too after 6 weeks or so.

I love Busy Lizzies and impatiens in hanging baskets and they usually come in mixed colours. Trailing geraniums are lovely too.

Sorry to clarify, Busy Lizzie and impatiens are the same plant but you might see them under either name in the shop

Why don't you ask a local nursery make them up for you? They can do so with your own baskets if you want. It will probably be no more expensive than buying the plants yourself. You can tell them what colours you like or give them free rein to fo what they like.

Geraniums and petunias are lovely in a hanging basket.

Go and look at ready made baskets at garden centres! I love a mix of trailing fuschia, lobelia, geranium in clashing colours, reds and pinks.

Following - I did this for the first time last year

I bought a few plants from garden centres etc and planted them myself. They grew fairly well, but not as well as the ones my mum made up for me

this year I’m planning to do the same. Choose some at garden centre that are specifically labelled for hanging baskets.

Thank you for the suggestions and advice, I didn’t know you could get ready made baskets so I will pop into our local centre this weekend for a mosey and see if they have any. Failing that I think geraniums and petunias will be what I’ll go for. Thank you all

For something really simple but effective try trailing geraniums or petunias. Those you only need to plant on the top, not in the sides. Just keep them watered, sometimes 2x daily in very hot weather, take off the dead flowers and never let them dry out

Which direction will they be facing?
My porch is quite shaded for most of the day so I ended up with Fuschia being the most successful.

As a total beginner last year, I had petunias, fushias and begonias in my hanging baskets. The petunias did the best by far and were also flowered the longest.

I've just re-done the baskets and had gone for yellow trailing petunias this time along with a suitable feed.