How to choose the perfect hanging basket for your outdoor space

From al fresco dining areas to grand hotel entrances, hanging baskets, troughs, and containers, offer a beautiful way to add planting displays to outdoor spaces without taking up any valuable floorspace; allowing businesses to provide beautiful exterior features that will entice visitors and increase footfall.

The creative possibilities with hanging baskets are endless, with an abundance of traditional and modern designs to choose from. By choosing the right flowers for your environment, you can create a vibrant display that adds a burst of personality to your business exterior.  

Don’t think of exterior colour as an afterthought, use it to make your business stand out from the crowd.  

WHAT MAKES THE PERFECT HANGING BASKET?

• Colour and texture
  Nature has a wide palette of natural colours and textures to choose from, you can draw upon these to create dynamic baskets that are full of life.

• Fresh natural scent
  Choosing fragrant flowers will create a positive experience for visitors, greeting them with a fresh natural scent that they’ll start to associate with your business.
• Variety and Abundance
  By choosing flowers and plants with a mix of heights and shapes you can easily create a rich display that will create a great first impression. For maximum impact you can incorporate trailing foliage and climber plants.
• Caring for your surrounding
  Look for flowers that are pollinator friendly, or research what wildflowers are local to your area, this will ensure the flowers you plant are supporting your local wildlife.
• Think about longevity
  Choose plants with longevity of flowers and look after them to guarantee colour throughout the season.
• Five-a-day
  Plant fruit and vegetables in your baskets for a modern twist, trendy choices include trailing strawberries or trailing cherry tomatoes.

 

WHAT ARE THE BEST PLANTS AND FLOWERS FOR HANGING BASKETS

Knowing what to plant in hanging baskets is crucial to creating long lasting displays. You need to consider a range of factors, such as light levels, temperature, and your budget.

An easy way to incorporate flowers into your outdoor space it to use pre planted hanging baskets. phs Greenleaf can work with you to design and bring to life a range of hanging baskets, troughs, and containers for your business, with an ongoing care team on-hand to undertake regular upkeep visits.

For Spring and Summer:

 

The summer months are all about bright colours that complement the local environment and make us smile.

The perfect flowers for Summer hanging baskets: Geranium, Petunia, Fuchsia, and Begonia.
When to plant summer baskets in the UK: April or May, ideally after the frost has passed.

For Autumn and Winter:

There are plenty of colourful flowers that thrive in the winter that can be complimented with unique textured leaves.

When to plant winter baskets in the UK: September and October
The perfect flowers for winter hanging baskets: Viola, Ivy, Primrose, and Heather

DESIGN BESPOKE HANGING BASKETS with phs GREENLEAF

 

phs Greenleaf offer a range of ready-made hanging baskets, troughs, and containers that can be fully customised to suit your exterior colour scheme. Our expert team will even fit the baskets and undertake regular care visits to ensure your floral displays are always looking as vibrant as possible.

We also provide a range of artificial plastic hanging baskets for premises that would find these options more suitable.

Our expert team of horticulturists are here to provide you with advice, bespoke designs, high-quality plants, and an ongoing care service that will surpass expectations and meet your budget.

FAQs

Q: Is it too late to start hanging baskets?

A: Starting hanging baskets largely depends on the plants you wish to grow and the climate of your location. For many plants, especially those that thrive in the warmer months, late summer or early autumn might not be the ideal time to start, as they may not have sufficient time to establish before cooler temperatures set in.

Q: Which hanging baskets are best?

A: The best hanging baskets depend on your specific needs and environment. Wire baskets lined with coco coir or sphagnum moss provide good aeration and drainage, which many plants prefer. Plastic or self-watering baskets, on the other hand, retain moisture longer, making them ideal for areas with hot, dry climates or for those who might not water as frequently. Always choose a basket that is large enough to accommodate your plants' growth and ensure it has adequate drainage holes to prevent overwatering. Selecting a sturdy bracket and chain is equally crucial to ensure the basket's safety, especially when filled with soil and plants.

Q: Why do my hanging baskets keep dying?

A: Hanging baskets can die due to several reasons: overwatering or underwatering, insufficient light, poor soil quality, overcrowding, disease, pests, or extreme temperatures. Ensure you provide the right amount of water, place the basket in appropriate light conditions, use good-quality potting mix, avoid overcrowding, regularly check for pests or diseases, and protect plants from extreme weather conditions. Adjust care based on the specific needs of the plants in your basket.

Q: Hanging baskets, while aesthetically pleasing, come with some disadvantages. Their elevated position can make them more susceptible to drying out quickly, necessitating frequent watering, especially in warmer climates. Due to limited soil volume, plants in hanging baskets can become root-bound or deplete nutrients faster than those in the ground or larger containers. This requires more regular feeding and potential repotting. Hanging baskets also need strong support structures, as they can become quite heavy, especially after watering. Additionally, they can be more challenging to maintain, given their height, making tasks like deadheading, pruning, or treating for pests and diseases a bit more cumbersome. Lastly, plants in hanging baskets might be more exposed to wind and temperature fluctuations, requiring extra attention to ensure they're protected from harsh conditions.

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