Learn all about hanging baskets, how to design and maintain a generous-looking hanging floral arrangement in your garden, on your terrace or on your balcony.
Hanging flower baskets outdoors is an excellent idea if you're short on space or dreaming of a cosy home. Here's a practical guide to hanging flowers.
The basic principles
Whether plain or multicolored, hanging flowers look great on balconies, terraces, gardens or at the entrance to your home. These mini hanging gardens, usually very colorful, catch the eye and add a touch of cheer to your decor. A lovely way to welcome your guests.
Container
It all starts with choosing the right container for your needs. Materials, shapes and colors ... it all depends on your imagination and the look you want to create. Bear in mind, however, that each type of container has different watering requirements.
- Traditional: wire baskets lined with coconut fibre,
- Romantics: terracotta or glazed pots with hooks
- The cheapest: plastic pots. Beware of quality: some break quickly.
- Natural: rattan baskets, baskets made from
- Recycled items: old salad baskets lined with moss, old zinc buckets, etc.
If you're dreaming of a flowering ball, like the ones you see on the streets, you'll need to choose a pot with holes throughout the body specially designed for this purpose. This allows you to place plants on the sides and bottom of the pot, giving it that ball-like appearance.
Drainage.
Drainage will be very different depending on the type of hanging basket you use.
- Metal baskets lined with coconut fibre: water flows through them almost too freely;
- hanging pottery can retain too much moisture;
- plastic pots are interesting, especially if they have a water reserve.
Tips: If you're using a coco basket, place a plastic saucer at the bottom of the basket before adding the soil and plants - this will give the roots better access to the water that will remain.
If you're using pottery, add a layer of gravel to the bottom, water sparingly to avoid rotting and choose plants that like a little extra moisture to compensate for the lack of drainage holes.
If you use plastic pots, opt for those with a built-in water supply. You can also replace inelegant plastic hangers with decorative chains.
Never use garden soil, as it won't drain properly. Instead, use quality potting soil suited to the plants you choose.
Watering.
Soil in hanging containers dries out much more quickly than soil in your garden, so be prepared to water daily (preferably in the evening). Plants exposed to more direct sunlight may even need twice-daily watering (once in the morning and again in the evening).
Do NOT let your planters dry out. If you do, the root systems will be damaged and, although you can get them back to normal, they'll never reach their full potential.
Tip: Hangers like to be evenly moist. Consider taking them down every week to soak them thoroughly and deeply, let them drain, then put them back up.
Fertilization.
Regular fertilization is essential, as the soil quickly becomes depleted. Successive waterings leach nutrients from the soil much more quickly in a suspension. Add a slow-release granular fertilizer to the soil when you plant, then use a half-dose liquid fertilizer once a week.
Maintenance
Remove spent flowers regularly. Pinch stems twice during the season: they will branch out and your plants will stay compact.
Tip: If your hanging basket doesn't look good after a few weeks, cut out anything that's dead or in poor condition, and start again with a healthy plant. Immerse your basket in water for an hour or two to rehydrate it thoroughly. Add a little fertilizer and be patient... You'll soon be rewarded.
Regularly check your plants for slugs and snails. Even when they're high up, they can reach the hanging baskets, and they love petunias!
What to plant in a hanging lamp?
Among the plants that grow well in hanging baskets and flower generously all summer long, here are the most common: asters, bacopa, begonias, bidens, diascias, fuchsias, geraniums, lobelias, pelargoniums, petunias, scaevola, surfinias, verbenas. And among the foliage that will add volume to your arrangements, opt for sedges and other grasses, ivy and heuchera.
Number and type of plants
For a quick effect, plant tightly. Pack the plants to achieve the full, lush look you want. However, always combine plants that have the same sun and water requirements.
- Plants for the sun: alyssum, bacopa, browallia, diascia, geranium ivy, lantana, lobelia, million bells, nemesia, osteospermum, petunias, portulaca, scaevola, verbena, Virginia creeper, ...
- Shade plants: bacopa, begonias, dracaena, fuchsias, impatiens, lamium, lobelia,
Colors
- For a casual look, mix several colorful flowers and foliage. But be careful not to create a cacophony. 2-3 colors maximum, or a cameo of your favorite shade.
- For a more contemporary look, opt for a single type and color of plant per container.
Composition
For a guaranteed WOW effect, combine an upright plant in a bright color (e.g. geraniums), add creeping flowers that soften the edge of the basket (e.g. lobelia) and finish with cascading foliage (e.g. ivy). The different heights, shapes and colors will create a charming "ball" of plants.
Where to hang a flower basket?
Hanging lights draw attention upwards and highlight other areas of the garden or home. There are plenty of places to hang them. Let your imagination run wild!
- To beams and posts: But make sure they can bear the weight, not forgetting that watered planters are heavier. For a neater look, spread the baskets evenly rather than hanging them haphazardly.
- On a tree branch: Steel S-hooks, available in various sizes, make it easy to hang baskets in the garden. Make sure the branch is strong enough to support the weight of the flower basket.
- On a wall bracket: A wide range of decorative brackets are available for mounting on walls, fences or balconies. They are available in a wide range of styles and materials.
