The Easiest Way to Fill Your Garden With Colour All Summer Long
There’s nothing quite like hanging baskets in full bloom to stop you in your tracks. But behind those vibrant, flower-packed displays is a bit of know-how, and a few professional tricks, that make all the difference.
Thankfully, you don’t need years of gardening experience to get it right. With the right compost, a quality basket, the best trailing plants, and a little preparation, you’ll be growing your own head-turning displays in no time.
This guide covers everything, from how to plant your baskets properly, to our favourite plant combinations, care advice, and even a sneaky shortcut if you’re short on time. Whether you’re a first-timer or want to level up your garden game, here’s how to get stunning results without breaking a sweat.
How To Plant Hanging Baskets
When planting a basket, the first thing to get right is your container. Most people reach for the same old wire baskets with a liner, but we recommend stepping things up with our Easy Fill Hanging Baskets. Designed by commercial growers, they let you plant from the outside in, thanks to clever little side apertures. That means you can fill the top and the sides, with no root damage and stunning results from every angle.
The 15in version holds 13.5L of compost, ideal for larger displays, while the 12in basket, 8L compost capacity, is perfect for tighter spots. Both are reusable and great value, and once you’ve used them, you won’t go back.
Next, the compost. We really can’t stress this enough; cheap compost will cost you in performance. Our Premium Professional Compost is the same grade we use on the YouGarden nursery.
It’s light, fluffy, and packed with everything your basket plants need, including lime for pH balance, starter fertiliser, and even a wetting agent to keep water moving through the root zone.
Before planting, mix in a scoop or two of Blooming Fast Swell Gel & Feed. This clever stuff absorbs water like a sponge and releases it slowly, cutting down on watering, and it contains six months’ worth of slow-release fertiliser, plus humic acid to boost root health. We call it “insurance for your baskets”.
Plant in layers, with trailers through the sides first, then fillers and upright plants on top. Press the compost in gently, water well, and you’re off to a flying start.
What To Plant In Your Hanging Baskets
Now for the exciting bit… Choosing your plants! When putting together baskets, we think in terms of thrillers, fillers, and trailers. And yes, we do have some firm favourites we turn to year after year because they never let us down!
Begonia ‘Super Cascade’ Mix is one of the very best trailing varieties. The colours are electric, reds, oranges, yellows, pinks and whites, with big, double blooms that cascade like a waterfall. They just keep coming from May until November, even in rubbish weather.
To balance any bold blooms, we always include Lobelia ‘Crystal Palace Blue’. It’s a classic for good reason, with masses of deep blue flowers that weave through the display like ribbons, softening the look and tying everything together.
And for a bit of variation, Lobelia ‘Trail Away’ Mix offers delicate pastels in pink, blue, purple and white, lovely alongside larger flowers like petunias or begonias.
Speaking of which, if you prefer a warmer palette, Begonia ‘Apricot Fiery Shades’ is a must. The tones are golden yellows, apricots, ochres and oranges, all rich, glowing and very classy. The plants themselves are tough, weather-resistant and wonderfully free-flowering.
Plant three or four trailers around the edge, tuck a couple of lobelias into the gaps as fillers, then crown the centre with an upright plant or another cluster of begonias. Water in, stand back, and smile.
Caring For Your Hanging Baskets… Plus, Other Tips and Tricks
Once your baskets are planted, it’s all about consistent care, but thankfully that doesn’t mean hard work!
By mixing in Blooming Fast Swell Gel & Feed at the planting stage, you’ll have already taken a huge step towards easy maintenance. The gel holds about a litre of water per basket and keeps roots hydrated, which means you can water less frequently. On top of that, the granules release nutrients slowly over six months, so you’re not stuck on a feeding schedule either.
In summer, baskets can dry out fast, so aim to water once a day, ideally in the early morning or late evening. During hot spells, you may need to water twice. If you’re going away, sit the basket in a shallow tray of water or ask a neighbour to pop round.
Deadheading every few days will keep new flowers coming and turning the basket regularly if it’s against a wall helps plants grow evenly all the way around.
Keep an eye out for aphids or slugs and tidy up any fading leaves. Your display will thank you, and keep performing until the first frost.
Want To Cut Out All The Hassle? Try Our Preplanted Hanging Baskets
We get it! Not everyone has the time or confidence to plant up baskets from scratch. If you want guaranteed results with zero effort, our Preplanted Hanging Baskets are the answer.
We’ve done all the growing for you. Simply unpack, hang, water, and enjoy.
For glowing sunset tones, go for our Apricot ‘Fiery Shades’ baskets, pre-filled with top-quality begonias that will flower from the day they arrive right through to autumn. For a softer, romantic look, ‘Eton Mess’ blends pink Petunias, Calibrachoa and Verbena in a beautifully harmonised mix. Or if you fancy something bold and bright, our Petunia ‘Wave’ Mix offers non-stop colour in red, white and blue.
All three combinations have been trialled to ensure the varieties grow together in harmony, no guesswork required! They come pre-filled in 25cm baskets and are guaranteed to perform. Plus, you’ll have the baskets to reuse next year.
