Basket Case

Add a new dimension to your outdoor spaces with hanging baskets.

Hanging baskets help make the most of outdoor spaces, as they literally growin thin air! They’re a perfect way to fill balconies, patios and pergolas with lush greenery, pops of floral colour or even edible delights like strawberries and mint. Baskets come in a variety of colours, materials and styles that can be matched with your outdoor décor. Here are some of the best plants for creating your own hanging baskets in spring.

Petunias & Calibrachoas

These flowering annuals have a spreading habit, making them ideal for growing in hanging baskets. Their flower-covered stems cascade out and down over the edge of the basket, creating an abundance of colour. They can be grown on their own or combined with other flowers for extra wow factor. Create a ball of sunshine and grow buttery yellow petunia ‘Spreading Yellow’ with compact yellow marigolds. For a hanging basket that’s overflowing with gorgeous colours, plant a pretty pink calibrachoa together with trailing purple-and-lilac lobelia, and Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’. This combination follows the ‘thriller, filler, spiller’ design principle and creates a wonderfully full looking basket.

Begonias

Find a spot with morning sun or partial shade all day for a beautiful Begonia ‘Dragon Wings Red’. Their lush glossy green foliage is a wonderful backdrop for their spectacular bright red or crisp white flowers, that are produced over many months. For additional colour, plant a few coleus seedlings in the basket together with begonias. Coleus come in a fascinating range of leaf colours and patterns and love the same sheltered conditions as begonias.

Ready-made baskets

If you’re just starting out with hanging baskets or want some quick colour, look for pre-planted baskets. Festival Combo ‘Tropicana’ from Oasis Horticulture contains a vibrant selection of annual and perennial flowers, like pink, yellow and mauve calibrachoa, inspired by the colours from your favourite tropical getaway or cocktail. This basket makes a stunning living decoration.

Gorgeous greenery

Protected outdoor areas with dappled light are excellent places for hanging baskets filled with foliage plants. Boston and rabbit’s foot ferns are lovely and lush, and ivy, tradescantia and pothos (devil’s ivy) have long stems that create a leafy waterfall out of the basket. Hoyas are fantastic in hanging baskets, too.

Edible treats

Herbs like mint, thyme and oregano, as well as fruiting plants like strawberries and ‘Tumbler’ tomatoes can all be very productive in hanging baskets. You can also grow compact vegies like loose-leaf lettuce and dwarf varieties of beans. Hanging baskets are a great way to grow edible plants when you don’t have a backyard or have run out of room in your vegie patch!