Ideas & advice
Plain-English help with hanging baskets - choosing them, hanging them safely and keeping them looking good. Written for UK gardens.
What this library is: every guide we have written about choosing, hanging, filling and looking after a hanging basket, sorted into 8 shelves. Start with a pillar guide if you are new, or jump to the shelf that matches your question. We sell the hardware and the artificial displays - the planting advice is here because it is what people actually want to know.
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Eight shelves. Pick the one that matches your question.
- Buyer's GuideChoosing a basket: size, material, where it will hang and what it will cost.8 guides
- Planting & How-ToLining, filling, planting and hanging - the practical steps, in order.8 guides
- Seasonal DisplaysWinter, autumn and Christmas displays, and what to do between seasons.8 guides
- Best Plants & Flowers for BasketsWhat actually thrives in a basket, by position, season and how much sun it gets.6 guides
- Brackets, Hooks, Chains, Stands & LinersBrackets, hooks, chains, stands and liners - fitting them so they hold.7 guides
- Artificial Hanging BasketsFaux baskets and flowers: what looks convincing, what fades, and where they win.6 guides
- Small-Space, Balcony, Wall & IndoorBalconies, walls, fences and indoors - hanging things where there is no garden.6 guides
- Care, Watering & FAQsWatering, feeding, cleaning and storing, plus the questions people actually ask.7 guides
The long reads
Start here
Long-form, no-nonsense guides that cover the whole topic.
Artificial Hanging Baskets: The Full UK Guide
Artificial hanging baskets give year-round colour with no watering, feeding or deadheading. Quality UV-stable displays hold their colour…
Read the guide → Best Plants & Flowers for BasketsThe Best Flowers for Hanging Baskets
The most reliable flowers for a UK basket are petunias, trailing lobelia, calibrachoa, fuchsias, geraniums and bacopa. Match sun-lovers such as…
Read the guide → Care, Watering & FAQsHanging Basket Problems and How to Fix Them
Most hanging basket problems are one of four things: not enough water, not enough feed, not enough root room, or the wrong position.
Read the guide → Brackets, Hooks, Chains, Stands & LinersHanging Baskets and Brackets: The Complete Fixings Guide
Match the bracket to the watered weight of the basket, not the empty weight. A planted 35cm basket can top 10kg, so use a wall bracket rated…
Read the guide → Buyer's Guide & Buying AdviceHanging Baskets: The Complete UK Buyer's Guide
A hanging basket display is four parts: the basket, a liner, a secure bracket or hook, and the filling. Choose 25-30cm for balconies, 35cm for…
Read the guide → Planting & How-ToHanging Plants for Hanging Baskets: The Full Guide
Build a basket from three plant roles: one upright centrepiece, bushy fillers around it and trailing plants at the rim. Use 5 to 6 plants in a…
Read the guide → Seasonal DisplaysSeasonal Hanging Basket Displays: Winter, Autumn and All-Year Colour
Seasonal displays keep a doorway alive all year. Hang winter baskets in October or November, switch to fresh colour in late spring, bring in…
Read the guide → Small-Space, Balcony, Wall & IndoorSmall-Space and Balcony Hanging Baskets: The Full Guide
In a small space the fixing decides everything, not the basket. Railing planters, over-rail hooks and freestanding stands need no drilling at all.
Read the guide →Just published
Latest
The 12 newest pieces across every shelf.
Artificial plant baskets for shade/indoors
A dark corner, a high stairwell or a north-facing room gives a living plant less light than it needs, and faux is the only thing that will look good t…
Read on → Brackets, Hooks, Chains, Stands & LinersHanging basket stands explained
A basket stand holds a basket without drilling anything, which suits rented homes, patios, unknown walls and shared boundaries. Look for a wide base o…
Read on → Best Plants & Flowers for BasketsScented plants for baskets
Scented petunias, heliotrope, nemesia, trailing thyme and scented-leaf geraniums are the ones that carry in a basket. Hang them at head height near a…
Read on → Seasonal DisplaysSummer show-stopper baskets
A show-stopper needs a large basket, generous side planting so it reads as a ball rather than a bowl, a restrained two-colour palette, and a feeding r…
Read on → Planting & How-ToIndoor hanging basket planting
Indoors, use a planter with a removable inner pot or a sealed base with a drainage layer, because water on a floor is the main practical problem. Choo…
Read on → Care, Watering & FAQsBirds, squirrels and pests in hanging baskets
Identify the culprit from the damage: scattered compost means squirrels, pulled fibre means nesting birds, broken stems mean perching, and a silvery t…
Read on → Buyer's GuideB&Q vs B&M vs The Range vs us — honest compare
DIY sheds suit buying today alongside compost and fixings. Discount general stores suit cheap seasonal buys. Garden centres suit seeing it in your han…
Read on → Care, Watering & FAQsStop baskets drying out — moisture tips
The biggest gains come from a larger basket, a liner with a moisture-retaining backing, water-retaining granules mixed in at planting, and moving the…
Read on → Small-Space, Balcony, Wall & IndoorFence hanging baskets
Fix to posts and rails, never to thin panel boards, and choose a flat-backed wall basket rather than a bracket so nothing swings. On a shared or rente…
Read on → Artificial Hanging BasketsFaux flowers & fillers to build your own
Buy a firm base, trailing foliage for the rim, bulk foliage for volume and flower stems for accent - roughly two thirds foliage to one third flower. F…
Read on → Brackets, Hooks, Chains, Stands & LinersChains & how to adjust height
Most baskets can be raised by hooking a link further down the chain onto the ring, and lowered by adding an extension chain or S-hooks. Shorten all th…
Read on → Best Plants & Flowers for BasketsLong-flowering low-maintenance picks
Calibrachoa, bacopa, surfinia-type trailing petunias, trailing verbena and bidens all flower for months and mostly clean themselves, so they need no d…
Read on →8 guides
Buyer's Guide
Choosing a basket: size, material, where it will hang and what it will cost.
B&Q vs B&M vs The Range vs us — honest compare
DIY sheds suit buying today alongside compost and fixings. Discount general stores suit cheap seasonal buys. Garden centres suit seeing it in your han…
Read on → Buyer's GuideOutdoor hanging baskets — what to look for
Look for genuine drainage, a rim strong enough not to distort under a watered load, chains and a hanging ring rated for the weight, a powder-coated or…
Read on → Buyer's GuideRattan & modern hanging baskets styling
Rattan and woven baskets bring natural texture to modern exteriors that are otherwise flat render and grey frames. Keep the palette narrow, repeat one…
Read on → Buyer's GuideMetal vs wicker vs plastic baskets
Metal wire frames are strong, light and need a liner. Wicker and rattan look best and last longest under cover rather than in the weather. Plastic is…
Read on → Buyer's GuideSmall hanging baskets for tight spaces
Small usually means 30cm or under. They suit balconies, narrow porches and anywhere you walk past, and they weigh far less watered. The trade-off is t…
Read on → Buyer's GuideLarge & big hanging baskets guide
Large usually means 40cm and upward across the rim. The extra size gives a fuller display and holds water longer, but a big basket watered is heavy en…
Read on → Buyer's GuideBest hanging baskets 2026
The best hanging baskets for 2026 balance three things: a frame that survives British weather, a fixing rated well above the basket's watered…
Read on → Buyer's GuideWhere to buy hanging baskets in the UK
You can buy hanging baskets from garden centres, DIY sheds, markets and specialist online shops. Garden centres win on browsing, but a…
Read on →8 guides
Planting & How-To
Lining, filling, planting and hanging - the practical steps, in order.
Indoor hanging basket planting
Indoors, use a planter with a removable inner pot or a sealed base with a drainage layer, because water on a floor is the main practical problem. Choo…
Read on → Planting & How-ToWall & fence basket planting ideas
A wall or fence basket is a one-sided display, so put height at the back against the wall, mounding plants through the middle and trailers along the f…
Read on → Planting & How-ToHow many plants per basket by size
As a working guide, five plants in a 30cm basket, seven in a 35cm and nine to twelve in a 40cm, including side planting. Vigorous trailers need fewer…
Read on → Planting & How-ToCompost & feed for baskets
Use a compost made for containers rather than garden soil, which compacts and drains badly. Mix in water-retaining granules and slow-release feed at p…
Read on → Planting & How-ToHow to hang a basket safely
Work from the watered weight rather than the empty one, choose a bracket rated well above it, fix it appropriately for your wall, and hang it where yo…
Read on → Planting & How-ToHow to plant a hanging basket step-by-step
Sit the basket in a bucket to steady it, fit the liner, part-fill with compost, plant the sides through the liner first, then the top, then water thor…
Read on → Planting & How-ToBest trailing plants for hanging baskets
The best trailing plants for a hanging basket are trailing lobelia, ivy-leaved pelargoniums, bacopa, calibrachoa, trailing fuchsias and ivy, all…
Read on → Planting & How-ToHow to line a hanging basket
To line a hanging basket, sit the liner inside the open wire frame, trim it flush with the rim, pierce a few drainage holes if it is solid, then…
Read on →8 guides
Seasonal Displays
Winter, autumn and Christmas displays, and what to do between seasons.
Summer show-stopper baskets
A show-stopper needs a large basket, generous side planting so it reads as a ball rather than a bowl, a restrained two-colour palette, and a feeding r…
Read on → Seasonal DisplaysSpring hanging basket ideas
Spring baskets run on small bulbs planted the previous autumn, primulas, violas and forget-me-nots. Plant bulbs in October for March and April colour…
Read on → Seasonal DisplaysDIY festive basket without live plants
Build a festive basket on a firm base, work from the trailing edge inward, and use artificial evergreen, cones, berries and battery lights. Nothing ne…
Read on → Seasonal DisplaysAutumn basket plants
Autumn baskets run on heucheras, small ornamental grasses, cyclamen, winter pansies and violas, trailing ivy, and berrying shrubs such as skimmia or g…
Read on → Seasonal DisplaysAutumn hanging baskets
Autumn baskets go in around September, using foliage colour, berries and hardy bedding rather than summer flowers. It is the easiest season to get rig…
Read on → Seasonal DisplaysWinter hanging basket plants
Winter baskets work on structure and foliage rather than flowers, with evergreens, ivy, small conifers and hardy bedding doing the work. Expect slower…
Read on → Seasonal DisplaysChristmas hanging baskets
A Christmas hanging basket pairs evergreen texture with festive accents: faux fir, eucalyptus, red berries, pine cones and warm-white battery…
Read on → Seasonal DisplaysWinter hanging baskets
Winter hanging baskets work when you pick tough plants such as pansies, violas, ivy and heather, or skip the gamble with an artificial winter…
Read on →6 guides
Best Plants & Flowers for Baskets
What actually thrives in a basket, by position, season and how much sun it gets.
Scented plants for baskets
Scented petunias, heliotrope, nemesia, trailing thyme and scented-leaf geraniums are the ones that carry in a basket. Hang them at head height near a…
Read on → Best Plants & Flowers for BasketsLong-flowering low-maintenance picks
Calibrachoa, bacopa, surfinia-type trailing petunias, trailing verbena and bidens all flower for months and mostly clean themselves, so they need no d…
Read on → Best Plants & Flowers for BasketsBegonias in hanging baskets
Trailing begonias are the strongest performer for shade and part shade, flowering heavily from summer to the first frosts. Buy trailing or pendula typ…
Read on → Best Plants & Flowers for BasketsFuchsias in hanging baskets
Trailing fuchsias are among the best hanging basket plants there are, particularly for part shade where petunias struggle. Buy trailing rather than up…
Read on → Best Plants & Flowers for BasketsPetunias in hanging baskets
Petunias want full sun, regular feeding and consistent water, and they will flower until the frosts if deadheaded. Trailing types and surfinias are th…
Read on → Best Plants & Flowers for BasketsBest flowering hanging basket plants
The reliable performers are petunias and surfinias, fuchsias, begonias, geraniums, lobelia and bacopa, chosen by how much sun the spot gets. Match the…
Read on →7 guides
Brackets, Hooks, Chains, Stands & Liners
Brackets, hooks, chains, stands and liners - fitting them so they hold.
Hanging basket stands explained
A basket stand holds a basket without drilling anything, which suits rented homes, patios, unknown walls and shared boundaries. Look for a wide base o…
Read on → Brackets, Hooks, Chains, Stands & LinersChains & how to adjust height
Most baskets can be raised by hooking a link further down the chain onto the ring, and lowered by adding an extension chain or S-hooks. Shorten all th…
Read on → Brackets, Hooks, Chains, Stands & LinersBest hooks for hanging baskets
Choose a screw hook for timber, a hook with a wall plate for masonry, and a closing or deep-throat hook anywhere windy so the basket cannot lift off…
Read on → Brackets, Hooks, Chains, Stands & LinersHow to stop a hanging basket spinning in the wind
Most spinning comes from a swivel in the hanging point, long or uneven chains, or an open hook. Swap the swivel for a fixed ring or closed hook, short…
Read on → Brackets, Hooks, Chains, Stands & LinersWhere to buy brackets — Screwfix & alternatives
Trade counters are best for fixings and heavy-duty steel, DIY sheds for buying today, garden centres for decorative brackets, and online for range and…
Read on → Brackets, Hooks, Chains, Stands & LinersHeavy-duty brackets for big baskets
A heavy-duty bracket has thicker steel, a deeper wall plate and usually two or three fixing points rather than one. You need one when the basket is 40…
Read on → Brackets, Hooks, Chains, Stands & LinersChoosing brackets for hanging baskets
Match three things: the bracket's reach to the basket's diameter, its rated load to the watered weight, and the fixings to your wall type. A bracket t…
Read on →6 guides
Artificial Hanging Baskets
Faux baskets and flowers: what looks convincing, what fades, and where they win.
Artificial plant baskets for shade/indoors
A dark corner, a high stairwell or a north-facing room gives a living plant less light than it needs, and faux is the only thing that will look good t…
Read on → Artificial Hanging BasketsFaux flowers & fillers to build your own
Buy a firm base, trailing foliage for the rim, bulk foliage for volume and flower stems for accent - roughly two thirds foliage to one third flower. F…
Read on → Artificial Hanging BasketsSilk vs plastic faux flowers
Silk and fabric flowers look considerably more realistic because the petals are thin, slightly translucent and catch light the way real ones do. Mould…
Read on → Artificial Hanging BasketsArtificial flowering & floral baskets
Flowers are the hardest part of an artificial display to make convincing, because real petals vary in colour and sit at different stages. Choose displ…
Read on → Artificial Hanging BasketsBest artificial baskets for outdoors
Outdoor artificial baskets need UV-treated foliage, a frame that drains so rain does not sit in it, and enough weight or a secure fixing to cope with…
Read on → Artificial Hanging BasketsFaux hanging baskets that look real
Convincing artificial displays vary in colour rather than being one flat green, have a matt rather than shiny finish, and trail long enough to break t…
Read on →6 guides
Small-Space, Balcony, Wall & Indoor
Balconies, walls, fences and indoors - hanging things where there is no garden.
Fence hanging baskets
Fix to posts and rails, never to thin panel boards, and choose a flat-backed wall basket rather than a bracket so nothing swings. On a shared or rente…
Read on → Small-Space, Balcony, Wall & IndoorBaskets for walls & how to fix
A bracket suits a solid wall where you want the basket to hang clear, a flat-backed wall basket suits narrow spaces and fences, and a hook suits anywh…
Read on → Small-Space, Balcony, Wall & IndoorWall-mounted hanging baskets
A wall-mounted basket has a flat back and fixes directly to the wall rather than hanging from a bracket. It projects less, does not swing in wind, and…
Read on → Small-Space, Balcony, Wall & IndoorIndoor plant hanging baskets styling
Hang in odd numbers at different heights rather than a row at one level, use corners and stairwells that nothing else occupies, and keep the planters…
Read on → Small-Space, Balcony, Wall & IndoorIndoor hanging baskets guide
Indoors the fixing is the hard part - a ceiling hook must go into a joist or a rated anchor, never plasterboard alone. Choose plants for the light the…
Read on → Small-Space, Balcony, Wall & IndoorSmall-space & balcony basket ideas
On a balcony or in a small flat, the space you have is vertical - railings, walls, ceilings and the backs of doors. Railing planters and tension or cl…
Read on →7 guides
Care, Watering & FAQs
Watering, feeding, cleaning and storing, plus the questions people actually ask.
Birds, squirrels and pests in hanging baskets
Identify the culprit from the damage: scattered compost means squirrels, pulled fibre means nesting birds, broken stems mean perching, and a silvery t…
Read on → Care, Watering & FAQsStop baskets drying out — moisture tips
The biggest gains come from a larger basket, a liner with a moisture-retaining backing, water-retaining granules mixed in at planting, and moving the…
Read on → Care, Watering & FAQsHow often to water in summer
Most summer baskets need water once a day, and twice on hot windy days. Rather than following a schedule, lift the basket - a light one needs water an…
Read on → Care, Watering & FAQsBest watering can for baskets
For baskets above head height, a long-spout can or a watering lance that attaches to a hose is what works. The limiting factor is weight - a full larg…
Read on → Care, Watering & FAQsSelf-watering baskets explained
A self-watering basket has a reservoir in the base that wicks water up as the compost dries. It lengthens the gap between waterings rather than removi…
Read on → Care, Watering & FAQsBest watering systems for baskets
For one or two baskets, a long-spout can and a pulley hook are enough. For several, or for anywhere you cannot reach easily, a drip irrigation kit on…
Read on → Care, Watering & FAQsHanging basket care & watering guide
A hanging basket dries out faster than any other container because it is exposed on every side. Water in the early morning or the evening rather than…
Read on →