6 Beautiful Hanging Flower Basket Ideas
Why Hanging Baskets?
What is it about hanging baskets that gives them their universal appeal? Hanging flower baskets fall under the realm of container gardening, yet this gardening niche offers something more than most containers. Hanging baskets bring petite flowers to eye level, where they can be examined, smelled, and touched. Hanging baskets bring beauty to the otherwise dull real estate of walls and rafters. Hanging baskets focus on the plants, not the containers, and sometimes one can’t be sure if a container even exists under all of those trailing flowers.
Hanging baskets make flower gardening accessible even to those without a surface to place a flowerpot upon. Learn about flowers that thrive in mini hanging gardens, and plan a hanging basket design based on one of these blooming examples.
A Cottage Garden Without a Garden
There are small gardens, and then there are postage stamp sized gardens, and then there is the art of gardening without a garden. Hanging baskets can make this not only possible, but can deliver a traffic-stopping flower display to your entryway. If you’re going for the traditional cottage garden look, include these flowers that will thrive in hanging baskets:
Springtime Abundance
Spring has arrived, and you’re hungry for flowers. Let the hanging basket satisfy your craving. In addition to springtime flowerbed favorites like the violas, primroses, pansies, and lobelia featured in this basket, consider growing spring-blooming bulbs like the daffodils shown here. Growing bulbs in a basket takes a bit of extra planning, as the bulbs will need a pre-chilling period in the refrigerator to mimic winter’s dormancy.
After approximately 12 weeks of chilling, you can pot up the prepped bulbs with your springtime annuals.
Think Outside the Basket
Shabby Chic is all the rage, and the garden isn’t exempt from the trend. Take special items from your basement or attic, and repurpose them as hanging baskets for the flower garden. No drainage? Poke holes with a cordless screwdriver. Too much drainage? Place a liner in the object, or put a small plastic pot inside. Other antique items waiting to host a flowering plant include lanterns, teapots, and watering cans.
Full and Lush
Professionals have hanging basket design and cultivation down to a science, which allows them to charge a premium price for their vibrant creations. Can a beginning flower gardener replicate this success? Perhaps, by following these steps:
Some of the best indoor hanging baskets feature orchids, like this cymbidium Sarah Jean ‘Ice Cascade.’ This orchid type is a good pick for beginners, as it is vigorous and free flowering. Expect a four-year-old plant to produce as many as ten flowering spikes over a period of three months. Keep the plant in cool dappled sunlight, and provide consistent moisture.
One of the pleasures of gardening with hanging baskets is the ability to switch out baskets easily for seasonal displays. A red, white, and blue basket can grace your porch or patio on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Constitution Day in most climates. Mild climate gardeners can keep the basket going through Veterans Day. Copy this basket design using petunias, lobelia, bacopa, and fuchsia.
What is it about hanging baskets that gives them their universal appeal? Hanging flower baskets fall under the realm of container gardening, yet this gardening niche offers something more than most containers. Hanging baskets bring petite flowers to eye level, where they can be examined, smelled, and touched. Hanging baskets bring beauty to the otherwise dull real estate of walls and rafters. Hanging baskets focus on the plants, not the containers, and sometimes one can’t be sure if a container even exists under all of those trailing flowers.
Hanging baskets make flower gardening accessible even to those without a surface to place a flowerpot upon. Learn about flowers that thrive in mini hanging gardens, and plan a hanging basket design based on one of these blooming examples.
A Cottage Garden Without a Garden
There are small gardens, and then there are postage stamp sized gardens, and then there is the art of gardening without a garden. Hanging baskets can make this not only possible, but can deliver a traffic-stopping flower display to your entryway. If you’re going for the traditional cottage garden look, include these flowers that will thrive in hanging baskets:
- Balsam
- Geranium
- Salvia
- Snapdragon
Springtime Abundance
Spring has arrived, and you’re hungry for flowers. Let the hanging basket satisfy your craving. In addition to springtime flowerbed favorites like the violas, primroses, pansies, and lobelia featured in this basket, consider growing spring-blooming bulbs like the daffodils shown here. Growing bulbs in a basket takes a bit of extra planning, as the bulbs will need a pre-chilling period in the refrigerator to mimic winter’s dormancy.
After approximately 12 weeks of chilling, you can pot up the prepped bulbs with your springtime annuals.
Think Outside the Basket
Shabby Chic is all the rage, and the garden isn’t exempt from the trend. Take special items from your basement or attic, and repurpose them as hanging baskets for the flower garden. No drainage? Poke holes with a cordless screwdriver. Too much drainage? Place a liner in the object, or put a small plastic pot inside. Other antique items waiting to host a flowering plant include lanterns, teapots, and watering cans.
Full and Lush
Professionals have hanging basket design and cultivation down to a science, which allows them to charge a premium price for their vibrant creations. Can a beginning flower gardener replicate this success? Perhaps, by following these steps:
- Start with a high quality soil-free potting mix formula, for example Pro-Mix.
- Drench the basket liner with a fungicide if you’ve been plagued with root rot or mildew in the past.
- Pack the planted basket with healthy plants in bud; consider tried-and-true varieties from Proven Winners. Some of the plants shown here include lobelia, verbena, begonia, pelargonium, and moneywort.
- Fertilize continuously throughout the growing season; weekly dilute feedings are better than monthly full strength feedings.
- Pinch and shape your plants regularly to banish the straggly look.
- Keep pests like aphids and whiteflies far away with yellow stick traps, insect soap, or pesticides like Marathon.
Some of the best indoor hanging baskets feature orchids, like this cymbidium Sarah Jean ‘Ice Cascade.’ This orchid type is a good pick for beginners, as it is vigorous and free flowering. Expect a four-year-old plant to produce as many as ten flowering spikes over a period of three months. Keep the plant in cool dappled sunlight, and provide consistent moisture.
One of the pleasures of gardening with hanging baskets is the ability to switch out baskets easily for seasonal displays. A red, white, and blue basket can grace your porch or patio on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Constitution Day in most climates. Mild climate gardeners can keep the basket going through Veterans Day. Copy this basket design using petunias, lobelia, bacopa, and fuchsia.
