Hanging Basket Design – Tips For Arranging A Hanging Basket

Flowers In A Hanging Basket
hanging basket
(Image credit: Antony-Kemp)

Using hanging baskets is a great way to add dimension to your home garden, or to add appeal to front porches or common spaces. The addition of flowering hanging baskets not only improves the appearance of your home but offers valuable growing space. By learning to plant and maintain their own hanging baskets, even novice gardeners are rewarded with a profusion of blooms throughout the growing season.

How to Make the Perfect Hanging Basket

The term hanging basket is used to refer to any container planting that has been suspended. While most people are familiar with baskets designed to hang from fixed structures like porches, hanging baskets can also be placed in the garden with the use of free-standing plant hooks. Since these baskets can become quite heavy, it is important to make certain these structures are strong and sound before placing any hanging flower basket.

Hanging Basket Design

The first step in arranging a hanging basket is too choose the type of container you want to use. While some hanging baskets are made of plastic, others made from wire or natural materials are also available. Each type of basket liner will offer different solutions to growers' needs.

Those growing in hot weather areas, for example, may specifically need hanging baskets that better retain moisture. Choosing the type of basket best suited to your needs will be important, and can impact drainage and how often the planters require your care.

Make the Perfect Hanging Basket

After choosing which hanging basket will be used for planting, begin filling the basket with a high quality potting mix. You may choose to incorporate finished compost, and some plants in hanging baskets will need consistent fertilization.

Choosing plants and arranging a hanging basket will greatly depend on the your own preferences. First, gardeners need to consider their growing space. While some plants thrive in shade, others require full sun. Before planting your basket, carefully take note of how much sun or shade the location will receive.

When creating a hanging basket arrangement, it's important to take into account what the mature size of the plants you've selected will be. While your container may initially look sparse, growing flowers may rapidly fill them. Consider choosing hanging basket plants that range in growth habits. This will enhance the overall appearance of your hanging baskets.

Choose plants that are diverse to improve the look of your basket. Consider flowers that are complementary in color and vary in size and shape. Taking aspects like texture into account will also help to make the perfect hanging basket.

Tonya Barnett
Writer

Tonya Barnett has been gardening for 13 years. Flowers are her passion. She has transformed her backyard into a cut flower garden, which she regularly chronicles on her YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/@tonyawiththeflowers.