https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/ Plain-English hanging basket guides for UK homes: choosing baskets, brackets and fixings, planting, seasonal displays, artificial baskets and watering. en-gb Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:17:52 +0100 https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/stop-hanging-basket-spinning-in-the-wind/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/stop-hanging-basket-spinning-in-the-wind/Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0100Most 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, shorten and level the chains, and tie the basket back or lift it down when a gale is forecast. In a very exposed spot, a fixed wall planter cannot swing at all. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/rattan-and-modern-hanging-baskets-styling/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/rattan-and-modern-hanging-baskets-styling/Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0100Rattan and woven baskets bring natural texture to modern exteriors that are otherwise flat render and grey frames. Keep the palette narrow, repeat one basket rather than mixing styles, and choose synthetic rattan outdoors where natural fibre would not last. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/best-watering-can-for-baskets/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/best-watering-can-for-baskets/Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0100For 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 large can is heavy to hold at arm's length, so two smaller cans often beat one big one. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/wall-mounted-hanging-baskets/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/wall-mounted-hanging-baskets/Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0100A 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 suits narrow passages, fences and anywhere a bracket would be in the way. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/artificial-flowering-and-floral-baskets/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/artificial-flowering-and-floral-baskets/Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0100Flowers are the hardest part of an artificial display to make convincing, because real petals vary in colour and sit at different stages. Choose displays with tonal variation, some buds among the open flowers, and far more foliage than flower - a real basket is mostly green. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/where-to-buy-brackets-screwfix-and-alternatives/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/where-to-buy-brackets-screwfix-and-alternatives/Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0100Trade counters are best for fixings and heavy-duty steel, DIY sheds for buying today, garden centres for decorative brackets, and online for range and for matching a bracket to a specific basket. What decides it is whether you already know the reach and load you need. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/fuchsias-in-hanging-baskets/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/fuchsias-in-hanging-baskets/Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0100Trailing fuchsias are among the best hanging basket plants there are, particularly for part shade where petunias struggle. Buy trailing rather than upright varieties, pinch out the growing tips early to make them bushy, and keep them out of hot afternoon sun. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/autumn-basket-plants/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/autumn-basket-plants/Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100Autumn baskets run on heucheras, small ornamental grasses, cyclamen, winter pansies and violas, trailing ivy, and berrying shrubs such as skimmia or gaultheria. Choose for foliage colour and structure rather than flower count, and plant in September while the compost still holds some warmth. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/compost-and-feed-for-baskets/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/compost-and-feed-for-baskets/Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100Use a compost made for containers rather than garden soil, which compacts and drains badly. Mix in water-retaining granules and slow-release feed at planting, then switch to a liquid high-potash feed every week or two from about six weeks on. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/metal-vs-wicker-vs-plastic-baskets/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/metal-vs-wicker-vs-plastic-baskets/Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100Metal 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 cheapest, holds water well and needs no liner, but looks the most obviously manufactured. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/self-watering-baskets-explained/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/self-watering-baskets-explained/Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100A 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 removing them, adds weight for the bracket to carry, and is unhelpful in winter when the risk is waterlogging. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/indoor-plant-hanging-baskets-styling/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/indoor-plant-hanging-baskets-styling/Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100Hang 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 consistent so the plants provide the variety. One good planter beats three mediocre ones. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/best-artificial-baskets-for-outdoors/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/best-artificial-baskets-for-outdoors/Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100Outdoor 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 wind. An indoor display put outside will fade within a season and may not survive a gale. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/heavy-duty-brackets-for-big-baskets/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/heavy-duty-brackets-for-big-baskets/Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100A 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 40cm or more, when the wall is render or timber, or when the basket is above anywhere people stand. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/petunias-in-hanging-baskets/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/petunias-in-hanging-baskets/Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100Petunias want full sun, regular feeding and consistent water, and they will flower until the frosts if deadheaded. Trailing types and surfinias are the ones bred for baskets - upright bedding petunias will not spill over the edge. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/autumn-hanging-baskets/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/autumn-hanging-baskets/Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100Autumn baskets go in around September, using foliage colour, berries and hardy bedding rather than summer flowers. It is the easiest season to get right because the weather does most of the watering, and a good autumn basket bridges straight into winter. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/how-to-hang-a-basket-safely/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/how-to-hang-a-basket-safely/Mon, 10 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100Work 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 you can reach to water. Then check the fixing once a year, because water and frost loosen things. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/small-hanging-baskets-for-tight-spaces/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/small-hanging-baskets-for-tight-spaces/Fri, 07 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100Small 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 that a small basket holds less compost and therefore dries out considerably faster. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/best-watering-systems-for-baskets/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/best-watering-systems-for-baskets/Wed, 05 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100For 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 a timer turns daily watering into a job you no longer do. Self-watering inserts sit between the two. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/indoor-hanging-baskets-guide/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/indoor-hanging-baskets-guide/Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0100Indoors 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 room actually gets, and use a planter with a sealed base or a drip tray so nothing marks the floor. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/faux-hanging-baskets-that-look-real/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/faux-hanging-baskets-that-look-real/Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0100Convincing artificial displays vary in colour rather than being one flat green, have a matt rather than shiny finish, and trail long enough to break the outline of the basket. Height helps enormously - almost nothing reads as fake above eye level. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/choosing-brackets-for-hanging-baskets/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/choosing-brackets-for-hanging-baskets/Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0100Match 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 that is too short makes the basket rub the wall, and one that is under-rated is the reason baskets come down. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/best-flowering-hanging-basket-plants/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/best-flowering-hanging-basket-plants/Mon, 27 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0100The reliable performers are petunias and surfinias, fuchsias, begonias, geraniums, lobelia and bacopa, chosen by how much sun the spot gets. Match the plant to the position first, because a sun-lover in shade will not flower whatever else you do. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/winter-hanging-basket-plants/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/winter-hanging-basket-plants/Fri, 24 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0100Winter baskets work on structure and foliage rather than flowers, with evergreens, ivy, small conifers and hardy bedding doing the work. Expect slower growth and much less watering, and accept that a winter basket is a quieter thing than a summer one. https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/how-to-plant-a-hanging-basket-step-by-step/https://hangingbasketco.co.uk/blog/how-to-plant-a-hanging-basket-step-by-step/Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0100Sit 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 thoroughly and let it drain before hanging. Planting the sides first is what makes a basket look full rather than flat.