Hanging baskets

Hello
I recently got a bargain off ebay on 4 hanging baskets, now I need to fill them!

Am I too late to put seeds in it? Or for a quick fix which plants do you recommend? I'd like some "droopy" ones around the edges and lots of flowers, taller ones in the middle.

thanks

 

I am new to this but our hanging baskets were just planted with B&Q value pansies and violas, they are trailing very nicely down the sides and have bushed out beautifully. I think it was something like 24 or 34 plants for £2.50, can't remember, I gave them to the children to plant. we have just been given another hanging basket this week by the local 'in bloom' thing from the residents association and that looks much more expensive with amazing trailing 'things' but I have no idea what they are so can't help much more.

 

Its too late to grow from seed this year now.
Don't think you can beat surfinia petunias for a mass of trailing colour, sure there'll be lots in garden centres now they'll advise you how many you'll need for your size basket, also trailing lobelia, diascia,trailing fushcia,bacopa,nemophila, verbena and geranium are good and the upright geraniums, fushcia and petunia are good for a bit of height in the centre, there are also several nice trailing plants with leaf colour you could add,trailing helichrysum, ivy, lysimachcia(creeping jenny) I use variegated periwinkle in mine sometimes always have lots of that in the garden
Good luck and don't forget to show a picture when you've done
Just put mine out a couple of days ago, excited as grew all the plants except fushcia from seed, can't wait till they get going a few flowers just starting to open

 

thanks will try and have a go this week-end

 

if we get some sun in the next few days (so it isn't all doomy and grey outside) then I will post a picture of our 'in bloom' hanging basket we were given for you Simbad and you can tell me what all the things are in it if you don't mind. if it brightens up in a bit I might try and take a couple this afternoon.

mind I do have quite a few unidentified plants. one of them I bought but my youngest (age 2) tore up the id card and I have no idea what it is! I love the orangey leaves though and it is growing well considering it was supposed to be kept indoors initially and I put it outside!

 

I like heuchera in the centre and then nemisia or make a salad basket that you can eat from .

 

Surelly it would not be too late in this area, where the warm season has not really started yet!

 

If lining with polythene, you can do it the other way round by removing plants from their pots, wrapping a rectangular piece of bin bag plastic around them extending up beyond the top of the plant, gathering up the top edges of the plastic and carefully threading it through the liner from the inside, then pulling the plastic and plant through but leaving the roots and soil inside the basket.

 

thanks for all the suggestions, Ivy has come to my mind as well, and some people plant strawberrries as well, would that be ok? Also out of interest do you keep your baskets out all year or just in summer? I just come back in after painting two of the baskets in a very pale green they look lovely hanging to dry even empty!

Look forward to your pics Keinaff and anyone elses are welcome too.

 

All my baskets are in greenhouse with strawberries soon ready to eat along with flora baskets.

Love to see your painted baskets ,must try that .

 

Yummm lucky you!

before


and after


I bought a little Dulux tester pot for the kitchen last week and was lying around unused. Cost £2.50 and used 1/2 to paint both baskets

 

Hello PinkFinger
all the advice above is spot on ! When you do plant your baskets make sure you put in some slow release fertiliser pellets , they look like hundreds and thousands. Wilkos etc will sell it , seems a little expensive but you only need one spoonful per basket so it wil last for ages

 

I bought a few value packs from B&Q, can't remember the name of the plants, put them all in together, probably March, and now there's just a mixture of about 10 different colours! Not that many trailing down, but it looks perfect how it is, I think..

 

I have to but in with one exception to the advice so far.

Nasturtium is a good hanging basket plant, and its not too late to sow it from seed. However you'll be waiting a while for it to fill out.

Sow it now, and it will be draping down the sides by august, and will last until the first harsh frost.

However, I kind of agree with everyone else, at this time of the year, established plants are the way to go, just because we'll be nearing the end of the year before you get the results you want otherwise.