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 they are plain or multicolored, the flowery suspensions are of the most beautiful effect on the balcony, on a terrace, in the garden or at the entrance of a house. These mini hanging gardens, usually very colorful, catch the eye and bring a note of cheerfulness to your decoration. A very nice 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. Keep in mind, however, that each type of container has different watering requirements.
- The traditional ones: metal baskets lined with coconut fiber,
- Romantics: terracotta or glazed pots with hooks
- The least expensive: plastic pots. Be careful with the quality, some break quickly.
- The natural ones: baskets made of rattan, of
- Recycled: old salad baskets lined with moss, old zinc buckets, …
If you dream of a flowering ball, as seen in the streets, you should choose a pot with holes in the whole body specially designed for this purpose. This allows you to place plants on the sides and bottom of the pot, giving it that ball look.
Drainage.
The drainage will be very different depending on the type of hanging basket you use.
- The metal baskets lined with coconut fiber: the water flows almost too freely;
- Hanging pottery can retain too much moisture;
- Plastic pots are interesting especially if they have a water reserve.
Tips: If you are using a coco basket, place a plastic saucer in the bottom of the basket before adding soil and plants – this will allow the roots to better access the water that will remain in the basket.
If you use pottery, add a layer of gravel to the bottom, water sparingly to avoid rotting, and choose plants that like a little more moisture to compensate for the lack of drainage holes.
If you use plastic pots, choose those with a built-in water supply. You can also replace inelegant plastic hangers with decorative chains.
Never use garden soil, as it will not drain properly. Choose a quality potting soil, adapted to the plants you choose.
Watering.
The soil in hanging containers dries out much more quickly than the soil in your garden, so be prepared to water daily (preferably in the evening). Plants exposed to more direct sunlight may even need to be watered twice a day (once in the morning and once 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 will 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, and then put them back in.
Fertilization.
It is imperative to fertilize regularly because the soil is quickly exhausted. 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 wilted flowers regularly. Pinch the stems twice during the season: they will branch out and your plants will remain compact.
Tip: If your hanging basket doesn’t look good after a few weeks, cut out anything that is dead or in poor condition to start again with healthy plant material. Immerse your basket in water for an hour or two to thoroughly rehydrate it. Add a little fertilizer and be patient… You will be rewarded quickly.
Check your plants regularly for slugs and snails. Even in high places, they manage to reach the hangers and they love petunias!
What to plant in a suspension?
Among the plants that grow well in a hanging basket and bloom generously all summer, here are the most common: asters, bacopa, begonias, bidens, diascias, fuchsias, geraniums, lobelias, pelargoniums, petunias, scaevola, surfinias, verbenas. And among the foliage that will give volume to your compositions, opt for sedges and other grasses, ivy and heuchera.
Number and types of plants
For a quick effect, plant tightly. Pack the plants to achieve the full, lush look you want. However, be sure to always combine plants that have the same sun and water requirements for growth.
- 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 tone.
- For a more contemporary look, opt for one type and color of plant per container.
Composition
For a guaranteed WOW effect, combine a brightly colored upright plant (e.g. geraniums), add creeping flowers that soften the edge of the basket (e.g. lobelias) 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 upward and highlight other areas of the garden or home. There are many places to hang them. Let your imagination run wild!
- To beams and posts : But make sure they can support the weight, not to mention that watered planters are heavier. For a more polished look, spread the baskets evenly rather than hanging them randomly.
- To 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.
- To a wall bracket: There are many decorative brackets, to be fixed on walls, fences or balconies. They are available in a wide range of styles and materials.
