 Hanging baskets are wonderful, not only for your flower viewing pleasure, but also to grow some of the many larger trailing and vine plants. Hanging baskets can be planted with many types of plants started from seeds, cuttings, roots, bulbs or young plants—making colorful displays for your enjoyment. When selecting greenery and flowers for your hanging baskets, ensure that they all share the same growing requirements. Some examples—all sun-loving plants, all shade loving plants, plants that require little water or plants that require lots of water.
You can also create hanging planters that will bloom throughout the seasons, by using spring, summer and fall bulbs or plants combined in a large hanging basket. Or you might create a separate basket for each blooming season and replace them as the seasons change.
While there are many types of hanging baskets that you can create, the most widely used plants for hanging baskets are Petunias, Impatiens, Geraniums, Fushias, green ivy or vines, Viscaria, Vinca, Periwinkles, Browallia, Marigolds and Brown Eyed Susan Vines.
In order for your hanging baskets to grow into full displays of flowers and plants, it is a good idea to rotate your hanging baskets occasionally so that they get the even exposure to sun, wind and heat. You can find automatic plant rotators that will do the job for you.
Experiment with different plants and baskets, then water and fertilize regularly and your hanging baskets will become beautiful to enjoy all summer! The Gardening Circle has a gorgeous selection of unique hanging baskets available to plant as you like.
 Advice
Hanging baskets that become thin, straggly and lacking in flowers in late summer can be helped by improving plant growth to generate new flower buds.
Regular deadheading is important and if it has been neglected the developing seedheads will have seriously inhibited growth of new flower buds. It is too late to merely remove the seedheads; instead trim back plants to remove all seedy growth. Where shearing would be excessive consider removing all open flowers and also buds. The relief from reproduction will allow the plant to generate more leaves and shoots. Then feed to induce growth and keep it healthy.
Balanced liquid fertilizers, Miracle-Gro for example, used weekly, induce growth. When growth is satisfactory use potassium rich materials, such as tomato fertiliser to promote flowering.
Well fed, vigorous growth resists pests, red spider mites for example, or diseases such as powdery mildew, but some protection with approved pesticides may be necessary. Removing old, discoloured foliage also helps reduce troubles and improves growth.
Drying out is an increasing risk as foliage lengthens and days remain warm. Dunking dry hanging baskets in a bucket of water ensures they are fully wetted. Moving hanging baskets to a shadier spot can help where watering cannot keep pace. Use cut-down plastic drinks bottles as funnels to direct water into the basket. These can be hidden in the foliage at the top of the basket.
Finally, look at causes of hanging baskets failing, and note preventative action for next year such as using larger baskets, adding controlled-release fertilizer and water-retention granules and going for plants that need less water and deadheading.
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