Hanging baskets are a wonderful way to get some extra plants in your life. Don’t have the space for a garden bed, or even for traditional flower pots? Why not build up? Want to liven up your porch or windows? Why not hang some baskets full of beautiful foliage and flowers? Here are our top 10 plants for hanging baskets that should do the trick:
1. Nasturtium – An attractive flowering plant that takes little maintenance and blooms reliably, nasturtiums can tolerate full sun to partial shade and will thrive even in poor soil. Trailing varieties work best in hanging baskets.
2. Spider Plant – Spider plants are often grown indoors, but they will also do well outside in suitable climates or during the summer months. They’re especially effective in hanging baskets because of their low-hanging spiderettes.
3. Begonia – These flowering plants stand up well to heat, making them very popular in the South. Begonias bloom continuously throughout summer and fall. They do require quite a bit of watering, however, so make sure to keep their containers well irrigated. Trailing varieties work best in baskets.
4. Tomato – Not your classic floral hanging basket, cherry tomato plants can be grown successfully in hanging baskets, giving you a real talking point and the opportunity for a vegetable garden where you may not have thought possible.
5. Fuchsia – An extremely popular hanging basket plant, fuchsias come in over 120 varieties in a range of colors, sizes, and flower shape. These plants do better in cooler, more temperate summers, but some varieties are more tolerant of the high summer heat.
6. Black Eyed Susan Vine – Unlike a lot of other vines, these plants don’t get out of control in their growing habits and can be contained nicely. Instead of spreading everywhere, black eyed susan vines will creep attractively up the basket’s ropes, producing bright yellow and white flowers.
7. Petunia – Another hanging basket classic, petunia plants fill out their containers quickly and produce lots and lots of blooms. Miliflora and multiflora varieties are good for constant flower production and tolerance of hot, wet weather.
8. Geranium – Always popular in containers, geraniums will continuously produce lots of brightly colored flowers with deadheading.
9. Impatiens – Thriving in moist, shady areas, impatiens flowers may need a little extra watering but will do well in covered porches out of direct light. Apply fertilizer every couple weeks to keep them looking their best.
10. Ivy – A popular leafy green backdrop for brighter flowering plants, ivy is a great, understated choice for shady areas. Ivy needs very little sun and will thrive even indoors.
