10 Flowers to Plant in a Hanging Basket
Spring has sprung, and hanging baskets filled with beautiful flowers are on my mind! There’s something so quintessentially “spring” about putting a hanging basket up, and it’s even better when you create it yourself. Not only is it a perfect weekend DIY, with Mother’s Day just around the corner, it makes the perfect present for mom as well! I love that you can reuse the container each year too, making it a great eco-friendly alternative to purchasing a new, pre-made one each year. Of course, if you’re a super busy human this year, purchase one in a pot you want to reuse each year.
If you’re wanting to build your own hanging basket this spring, here’s the recipes I follow to create a full looking, beautiful hanging basket.
Step 1: The Thriller Plant
This is the show stopper planted in the middle of your hanging basket. Since the basket can be seen completely around the pot, planting your taller flowers in the middle is the way to go to showcase the beauty. This ensures the shorter flowers will be seen all around the basket. When it comes to what kind of flowers you want to plant in the middle, I typically opt for geraniums, salvia or cosmos.
Step 2: The Filler Plant
For the sides of the planter, your shorter filler plants can be added around the perimeter (hint: leave a little room for some trailing plants – I’ll talk more about those in step 3!). My personal favourites for filler flowers are petunias, lobelia, candytuft and pansies. The best part is that you can typically plant these flowers pretty close together, which means you’ll get a nice full looking hanging basket. Choose colours that bring a pop to your patio or front enterance.
Step 3: The Spiller Plant (Trailing)
If you’re interested in adding in trailing flowers to your hanging basket, leave a couple of spots for petunias (the trailing variety!), nasturtiums and creeping Jenny. These are a great way to add something visually exciting to your planters, especially if it’s going to hung higher up where you won’t be able to clearly see the filler plants.
My last tip when planting is plant in groups of 1, 3 and 5, this will make it feel symmetrical and purposeful. I place the plants in the hanging basket before I plant, this way you can visually see what it looks like before you begin to plant.
I hope you enjoyed this blog on how to create your own hanging basket using 10 types of flowers! What is your favourite flower to include in a hanging basket? Let me know in the comments!
* Note: Some links featured in the above post are commissionable/affiliate links.