This year I volunteered to make up the 3 hanging baskets for where I work. My boss is paying for everything but has said I can put whatever plants I want in. Although he has suggested one of them being red petunia because they look happy!!

So really looking for help with plants that will go with this , and look good in hanging baskets. Also , have never actually made up a hanging basket before so are there any important do's and dont's that may be of a help to me?

Thanks , Kate

Yes, I would like some hanging basket help too!  Over to you Lea.  :)

Plastic line somewhere in your layers with a few holes so it holds water longer.

You can either use pre formed garden centre liners or moss and add swell gel crystals to the compost again to hold water.

Try a real mix of colours, or 1 colour, my best was all white, looked stunning but I adore yellow and blues. On 2000 I did red/white and blue.

Dont put them out yet!! give it to mid/late June the waether is still fickle.

Petunia's, geramiums, lobelia, or tomatoes and salad for outside the kitchen door (tumbling toms)

Just go with the flow. I would buy from a garden centre rather than Sainsbury's ect as they are acclimatised better.

Any help?

Suggest an upright plant in the centre (fushia, geranium,begonia etc) with trailing ones around the outside. When buying you just need to check the labels as when the plants are small the uprights and the trailers look much the same

Both really helpful , thank you! How do you get it to look covered with plants all over , instead of just hanging over the top?

And how many plants should I put in each basket? Are there any good trailing plants that are nicely scented?

>How do you get it to look covered with plants all over , instead of just hanging over the top?

Apparently you poke them through the liner as you fill the basket.

Am beginning to wish I hadn't volunteered to do it now , seems a bit more complicated than I first thought! May make it a competition and get the boss to do one!

I did a pink themed one years ago and I had a competition with my 'then boyfriend' on who's hanging basket would be the best - he was a nurseryman with a real knowledge of plants.     Mine ended up the better of the 2 winning a 2nd at Camperdown Flower show (His was 5th!) and my planter won a 2nd too!

Trailing and scented,could be trailing petunias ,red ones if you can find them,.Geraniums are good they will stay bright all summer and cope with hot dry spells,The trailing ones are ivy leaf geraniums. You can also buy a mixed pack of plants suitable for baskets,at most garden centres.Choose deep baskets that will not dry out so quickly,Mix water retaining granules and slow release fertilizer in the compost,and if you want to make watering easier and more effective,plant a short length of pipe or hose somewhere near the middle so you can pour water in to go straight to the roots If you want cheap and cheerful then nasturtiums are good,but a  mix of petunias busy lizzie,trailing lobelia and geraniums will last longer.The great thing about hanging baskets is they are out of reach for the dogs!Have fun.

Video!

I've put mine out now as too impatient to wait any longer! In some (smaller) baskets I've used Begonia Bonfire, it says on the label they can tolerate drier conditions and I've got other baskets with trailing begonias. Last week I saw a nice hanging basket made from willow with the holes already in, that would make life a lot easier as I'm a bit heavy handed in my efforts to poke plants through holes!
Make sure the holder for the hanging basket is secured properly and able to take the weight of a watered basket. I speak from experience, my work of art came crashing to the ground the minute I put it up!

Trailing Petunia & Lobelia Make lover baskets.  More years than not that is what goes in mine. Get a tray of mixed coloured Petunias and mixed coloured Lobelia that would be enough to do 3 baskets.  I have done 6 baskets and 30 pots today..

Just wanted to say thank you to you all for your help and suggestions. The baskets looked lovely and my boss thought they were fantastic! Looks like i'll be doing them next year too! :)

Yep or yopu line it with a lobelia ect I usually put about 4 in and a few hanging ones in the plastic, the idea of plastic is so they do not dry out too quick, Ive gone potty this year in the flat and Im growing veg everywhere and a few big pots of lavender for the small.

Last year at home I had 1 hanging and 53 pots!!!

I've got sweet peas (amongst other plants) in mine which look lovely as they grow up the wire holding the basket on the bracket