A hanging flower basket can really improve the feel of your interior or exterior space. Regardless of the flowers chosen, having some greens in your home is an excellent idea because plants have a number of benefits that have been scientifically proven time and time again.
Today, we’re going to talk about hanging basket flowers and give you some suggestions on what to plant.
How to Care for Flowers Hanging in Baskets
Hanging flower baskets can be puzzling in terms of maintenance, but not so much if you consider the following list of tips:
- Plants grown in containers require more watering than plants grown in the ground. This rule also applies in the case of hanging basket flowers, which are susceptible to drying breezes. Lift the pot from underneath and, if it feels light, it definitely needs water. Check the soil using your finger. If the first inch of soil is dry, water it. In most places, hanging plants need to be watered at least once a day, if not twice. Add water until it comes out of the drainage holes. If water flows from the drainage holes but the soil remains dry, immerse the pot in a pail of water and leave it there for about 60 minutes. This will completely wet the soil.
- If a plant has completed blooming, feel free to remove it from a mixed planting. Replace it with something new when you’ve eased it out, taking care not to harm the surrounding plants. If you want, you can also add more soil to the basket and let the other plants grow in the remaining space.
- If you notice that some of the flowers are dying, make sure to pinch them off right at their connection with the stem. This encourages the growth of new flowers. Otherwise, the plant may expend its energy on producing seeds.
- Don’t be scared to prune the plants if they become straggly. The majority of typical hanging plants will generate more dense new growth.
- Because you’ll be watering often, the potting mix will be quickly drained of its nutrients. Use either liquid fertilizer or a dry slow-release fertilizer to feed the plants. Follow the dosage and frequency instructions. Feed only when the soil is moist, not when the plants are withering.
Perennial VS Annual Flowers for Hanging Baskets
In order to determine what types of flowers work with hanging baskets, we believe it’s important to compare these two categories and understand the differences between them. This way, you won’t have to consult a list of flowers next time you want to plant something in a basket, as you’ll be able to figure everything out by yourself.
Annuals are best purchased when they are starting to flower. They will continue to flower throughout the whole season and will not come back the next year.
Annuals can be planted outside in March or May and will die out in the hot weather during the next couple of months. Summer annuals can be sown after your last frost date and will last until October.
Perennials are planted once and will bloom year after year. They have periods in the year where they bloom. Other perennials, like the Russian sage, will flower for a long time before frost.
When perennials are not flowering, they will be green throughout the spring and fall seasons. They will then dry out and go dormant during the winter. When selecting perennials, make sure that they will flower throughout the year so that your hanging baskets look interesting all year round.
Annuals are best suited for hanging baskets or seasonal planters. They provide a dramatic show for a few months. However, they can also be used to create beds or even plant them around a tree. Annuals can be planted at the start of the season to give them the best chance to develop and grow well. They should also be planted in areas that are frost-free.
A perennial can be planted in a flowerpot, but if you want it to bloom each year, you’re going to have to take extra care of it. If they are planted inside a planter, they do not receive insulation and are vulnerable to freezing conditions. If you want to keep them in a planter for an extended period of time, then you should insulate the walls using a thick Styrofoam.
Best flowers for hanging baskets
Next up, we’ve made a list of the 12 most popular hanging flower basket ideas, in hopes to inspire you to grow your own.
Purple Hanging Petunias Flowers
The genus Petunia includes over 20 species of flowering plants that originated from South America. The popular flower of this group is petun, which translates to “tobacco”. Petunias are wonderful for hanging baskets, but they can be hard to grow in rainy and humid conditions.
Millifloras are drought-resistant and can be used year-round. Two-tone petunias are becoming very popular too, such as the Petunia ‘Amore’ and the Petunia “Frills and Spills”. These are both stunning and easy to grow.
Lobelia
Lobelia is a genus of flowering plants that can be found in warm temperate regions and cool temperate zones. Some of its species are known as lobelias. The genus Lobelia includes a large number of annual, perennial, and shrubby plants with simple, alternate leaves.
They have five lobes, each with a single flower. These plants are often attractive as garden subjects. This annual plant is best used as a hanging plant for early spring. It has white throaty flowers with electric blue ones.
Sweet Alyssum
The Lobularia maritima is a low-growing plant that has a sweet alyssum-like flower. It is commonly referred to as just alyssum. This plant is a short-lived annual that grows to about 5-30 cm tall. The stems are very branched, with dense clusters of small flowers.
These flowers have white rounded petals, with four stamens. They are sweet-smelling and have yellow anthers. Their fruits are oval to rounded, with seeds enclosed. It has a strong honey scent and attracts butterflies and bees.
Calibrachoa
Calibrachoa are small petunia-like flowers with a sprawling habit. They are found in the same region as petunias. Calibrachoa have small, rounded, or elliptic leaves with a flat or rolled back base. Their inflorescences are solitary, with oppositely standing, or zygomorphic. The calyx has a few ribs and a couple of lobes. It has a funnel-shaped crown that is angled towards the tip. The calyx’s color can vary depending on the type of crown used.
These miniature petunias are becoming more and more prevalent. They are very similar to the petunia but with a shorter flowering season and are covered in more dainty flowers. Calibrachoa are very tolerant to both sun and shade and will grow well in both areas. They are also great for growing in areas that need a little boost!
Diascia
The Diascia genus includes around 70 species, which are native to southern Africa. The Drakensberg and other summer-rainfall areas are home to many species of perennial plants. These include annuals and perennials. They have a common name that refers to the two pairs of spurs on the back of the flower.
These help distinguish them from the similar but closely related genera Nemensia and Alonsoa. In gardens, Diascia cultivars have become extremely popular. These versatile bedding plants are often hybrids. Diascia are long-flowering perennials that are ideal for hanging baskets.
Begonia Hanging Basket Flowers
Begonia is one of the world’s largest genera of flowering plants with over 2,000 species. Some of the terrestrial species are rarely known as epiphytic herbs or undershrubs. The plants are monoecious, with the male flowers having numerous stamens, and the female flowers having a large inferior ovary. The fruit is a winged capsule with minute seeds. Begonias are great for growing fuchsias in partial shade or full sun. The Begonia boliviensis can grow almost 2 inches long and has the same tubular flowers as fuchsias.
Pelargonium
Pelargonium is a genus of flowering plant species, which includes about 280 known species of perennials, shrubs, and succulents. These plants are also known as geraniums. Pelargoniums are evergreen perennials that are native to warm temperate regions. They can tolerate frosts and drought. Pelargoniums are great for hanging baskets. Their bold colors and trailing habit make them stand out. Deadheading is important to keep the plants going until frost.
Lotus
Lotus berthelotii is a prostrate shrub that grows to 20 cm with a trailing habit. It has 3 slender leaflets, each of which is about 1 cm long and densely covered with fine hairs. This parrot’s beak vine is an easy-to-grow plant that’s native to the Canary Islands. This plant has greenish-gray leaves that are as soft as a feather. Its flame-like flowers appear all season long.
Verbena
The verbena is a family of about 150 species of annual and semi-woody flowering plants found in the Americas and Asia. Most of the species are native to North America and Europe. These are often solitary and have small, round, and densely hairy leaves. The flowers are small, have five petals, and are borne in dense spikes.
Hybrids and cultivars of verbena are often used as ornamental plants. They can tolerate partial sun and are drought-resistant. These versatile plants are often used for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. They are also known to attract bees and other insects.
Strawberries
Different varieties of strawberries have different flowering habits. They can be grouped according to their season. June-bearing strawberries tend to produce fruit in the early summer, while “ever-bearing” ones tend to produce fruit throughout the season. Understanding the basic habits of flowering plants can help us identify the various phases of development that occur in the plant.
These include the day-length sensitivity, which is the length of time that the plant can tolerate before producing flowers. Strawberry hanging baskets are a great alternative to traditional strawberry planters. They look lovely in hanging baskets and are very safe to grow in.
Fuchsia
These flowers have four long, slender, and sometimes shorter, broad petals. They are often bright red or purple, but the colors can vary from white to dark red or purple. The fruit is a small greenish or deep purple berry with a few seeds. These leaves are simple lanceolate, with a rounded margin, and have a central spikelet or toothed section.
This wonderful plant thrives in cool, wet conditions. It can be grown almost anywhere, though it tends to wither a little in summer. To make these flowers thrive in hanging baskets, they require regular misting and fertilizing.
Lantana
Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of annual flowering plants that are native to tropical regions in the Americas and Africa. They can grow to about 0.5 to 2 meters tall. These attractive flowers are produced by mixing together various colors of the stems.
They change color as they mature. Although it can become a bit of a thug, common lantana can still be a beautiful tropical plant. Its flower clusters provide reliable color for a long growing season. If you have a small area where lantana is too vigorous, choose a weeping variety that will not grow seed-filled berries.
DIY Hanging Flower Basket Ideas
If you’re ready to make your own hanging flower baskets, we’ve got a generous list of tutorials in store for you next.
DIY Wood Pallet Hanging Planter
This tutorial will teach you how to repurpose wood pallets to make adorable hanging wood boxes for your planters. You can paint them in the color of your choice, so there’s really no limit to what the end result could look like. You also get step-by-step pictures which make it super easy to understand and track the progress of this project.
Hanging Planter from Ceiling
What if I told you that you can turn a plain wooden bowl into a hanging planter? For this project, you are also going to need a tape measure, scissors, drill bits and a drill, another bowl for the flowers, a pencil, and some other tools and accessories which are all listed in the tutorial.
How To Make A Macramé Plant Hanger
If you’re going for a boho-style hanging planter, how about making a macramé one? You’re going to need some jute twine, some wooden beads, a pencil, a ruler, a pair of scissors, and a rattan cane ring. The pictures are going to show you how to make all the knots required for the hanging mechanism, making this a super fun project that can also teach you a lot about knots!
DIY Simple Yarn Wrapped Hanging Planter
If you have a dull-looking terracotta planter and want to turn it into a hanging one by using just some yarn, a paintbrush, and a hot glue gun, this tutorial will teach you how easy it is. All you really need is a little bit of patience to wrap around the yarn and glue it into the surface of the planter. It really is that simple.
DIY Hanging Planter From Brass Pipes
This modern hanging planter is a simple way to add a bit of style to a plain area. It teaches you how to make use of brass piping and twine to create a simple yet elegant look. For this project, it’s time to grab a planter or a bowl, some twine, tape measure, a pipe cutter, and some metal tubing (brass is a pretty good option). The result will be astounding!
DIY Woven Hanging Planter
While simple wall hangings are great for showing off your weaving skills, there are plenty of ways to add a bit of texture and color to your home decor. To make your own woven hanging planter, grab a pair of scissors, some hot glue, yarn in the colors of your choice, and an empty plastic planter.
FAQ
What flowers are best for hanging baskets?
There are plenty of flower varieties that work really well with hanging baskets, such as fuchsias (with an exotic look and a drip-down appeal of colors that will blend perfectly with a summer setup), petunias (with plenty of single colors that look stunning when planted in one basket), lobelias (spectacular annual that creates a stunning display of colors by producing a magnificent cascade of small flowers on each plant), and geraniums (a flower which is drought-tolerant and can grow well in hanging baskets).
What hanging basket plants are there besides flowers?
If you find flowers planted in hanging baskets dull and would like to explore your options, you can always opt for succulents (such as painted lady, which is drought-resistant and great for hanging in containers), donkey’s tail (long-trailing plant with green leaves that will draw attention to any hanging surface), or fountain grass (gorgeous appearance and quite a low-maintenance plant).
Conclusion
A hanging basket is a great way to keep your plants in good condition while enjoying them anywhere. Although some plants are better than others at growing inside a hanging basket, most of them will still work well if given the proper conditions. Hopefully, today’s article gave you at least one new piece of information or an idea of what you should grow in a hanging basket.
The post 12 Gorgeous Hanging Basket Flowers Ideas for Your Home appeared first on Home Decorating Trends - Homedit.
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