Key takeaways
- Pick the recipe for your wall first, sunny south or west, or shady north or east
- Use one upright plant in the middle, fillers around it and trailers round the rim
- A 35cm basket takes 7-9 plants and a 45cm basket takes 11-14 for a full look
- Hang tender bedding out after the last frost, usually late May in the south and early June further north
- Drought-tough and foliage baskets need less watering than classic petunia mixes
A good summer hanging basket starts with the right recipe for your spot. Sunny walls want petunias and pelargoniums. Shady doorways want begonias and fuchsias. Below are six tried-and-trusted mixes, each with a plant list for 35cm and 45cm baskets.
For the nuts and bolts of lining, planting, watering and feeding, see our guide to planting and caring for hanging baskets. This page is all about what to put in them.
How many plants go in a hanging basket?
A 35cm basket takes 7-9 plants and a 45cm basket takes 11-14. Packing them in gives a full look from the start, and summer bedding copes well with the company.
| Basket size | Plants for a full look |
|---|---|
| 30cm | 5-6 |
| 35cm | 7-9 |
| 40cm | 9-11 |
| 45cm | 11-14 |
Every recipe below follows the same shape. Put one upright plant in the middle, a ring of fillers around it and trailers at the edge. In wire baskets, tuck some trailers through the sides so they hang down straight away.
Recipe 1: Classic sun-trap for a south or west wall
This is the classic British basket: red pelargonium, purple petunias, blue lobelia and silver foliage. It needs at least six hours of sun.
| Role | Plant | 35cm basket | 45cm basket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upright centre | Zonal pelargonium ‘Mr Wren’ (red edged white) | 1 | 2 |
| Filler | Surfinia trailing petunia, purple | 3 | 4 |
| Filler | Helichrysum petiolare (silver leaves) | 1 | 2 |
| Trailer | Trailing lobelia ‘Sapphire’ | 3 | 4 |
| Trailer | Calibrachoa (Million Bells), yellow | 1 | 2 |
In shade, the pelargonium flowers thinly and the petunias stretch, so save this one for your sunniest wall. Deadhead the petunias and pelargonium every few days. For more on the stars, see our guides to growing pelargoniums and growing petunias.
Recipe 2: Cool shade for a north or east wall
Begonias, busy lizzies and a trailing fuchsia keep flowering where petunias would sulk. This mix suits a doorway that gets only a few hours of morning sun.
| Role | Plant | 35cm basket | 45cm basket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upright centre | Trailing fuchsia ‘Marinka’ (red) | 1 | 2 |
| Filler | Trailing begonia ‘Apricot Shades’ | 3 | 4 |
| Filler | Busy lizzie, ‘Beacon’ series | 2 | 3 |
| Trailer | Bacopa ‘Snowflake’ (white) | 2 | 3 |
| Trailer | Variegated ivy | 1 | 2 |
Choose a downy mildew resistant busy lizzie such as the ‘Beacon’ series. Ordinary busy lizzies were badly hit by this disease and can collapse in a damp summer. Our guides to growing begonias and growing bacopa cover both plants in more detail.
Apricot begonias, dangling fuchsias and white bacopa light up a doorway that sees little direct sun.
Recipe 3: Drought-tough basket for a hot, sunny wall
This one is for baskets that can’t be watered every day. It uses tougher, smaller-leaved plants that cope better with a dry spell than soft bedding.
| Role | Plant | 35cm basket | 45cm basket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upright centre | Bedding salvia, Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria’ (violet) | 1 | 2 |
| Filler | Trailing verbena ‘Lanai’, purple | 3 | 4 |
| Filler | Bidens ferulifolia (yellow) | 2 | 3 |
| Trailer | Trailing rosemary (Prostratus Group) | 2 | 3 |
| Trailer | Helichrysum petiolare | 1 | 2 |
It still needs watering, just a little less often. Bees love the salvia, verbena and rosemary, and you can snip the rosemary for the kitchen.
Salvia, verbena, bidens and trailing rosemary shrug off a hot wall better than soft petunias do.
Recipe 4: Pollinator basket for bees and hoverflies
Single, open flowers feed bees and hoverflies far better than frilly doubles. This basket gives them plenty to visit from June to autumn.
Simple single flowers like cosmos, calendula and nasturtiums keep bees and hoverflies visiting all summer.
| Role | Plant | 35cm basket | 45cm basket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upright centre | Dwarf cosmos | 1 | 2 |
| Filler | Nemesia ‘Wisley Vanilla’ (scented) | 3 | 4 |
| Filler | Pot marigold, Calendula ‘Sherbet Fizz’ | 2 | 3 |
| Trailer | Trailing nasturtium | 2 | 3 |
| Trailer | Sweet alyssum, Lobularia ‘Snow Princess’ | 1 | 2 |
Deadhead the cosmos and calendula twice a week, as they go over quickly. Nasturtium flowers and young leaves are peppery and good in salads.
Recipe 5: Edible kitchen basket near the back door
Cherry tomatoes, strawberries and herbs all crop happily in a basket. Hang it in full sun, close to the kitchen.
| Role | Plant | 35cm basket | 45cm basket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upright centre | Trailing cherry tomato ‘Tumbling Tom Red’ | 1 | 2 |
| Filler | Everbearing strawberry ‘Mara des Bois’ | 3 | 4 |
| Filler | Basil | 2 | 3 |
| Trailer | Creeping thyme | 2 | 3 |
| Trailer | Trailing nasturtium | 1 | 2 |
A basket full of fruit and wet compost is heavy. Use a strong bracket fixed firmly into solid brick. ‘Tumbling Tom’ is a bush type, so there’s no need to pinch out side shoots. Once fruit starts to form, swap to a high-potash tomato feed. See growing tomatoes for beginners for the basics.
Tomatoes and strawberries dangle within easy reach, with basil and thyme for picking as you cook.
Recipe 6: All-foliage basket for a modern look
No flowers, no deadheading. This basket relies on leaf colour and texture and stays looking smart from May until the first frost.
Orange heuchera, purple sweet potato vine and golden trailers give colour all summer with no deadheading at all.
| Role | Plant | 35cm basket | 45cm basket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upright centre | Heuchera ‘Marmalade’ (orange leaves) | 1 | 2 |
| Filler | Sweet potato vine, Ipomoea batatas (dark purple) | 2 | 3 |
| Filler | Japanese forest grass, Hakonechloa macra | 2 | 3 |
| Trailer | Variegated ivy, Hedera helix ‘Glacier’ | 3 | 4 |
| Trailer | Golden creeping Jenny, Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ | 1 | 2 |
It works in sun or part shade. In autumn, move the heuchera, grass and ivy into a pot or the border, as they’re all hardy. Heucheras come in lime, plum and silver too, so swap in your favourite.
Keeping your basket going all summer
The recipe gets you started. Water, food and deadheading keep it going until autumn.
- Water: check every day in summer. Sunny baskets may need watering morning and evening in a heatwave. Water slowly until it drips through.
- Feed: start a weekly liquid feed about six weeks after planting, or mix in slow-release fertiliser at planting. A high-potash feed keeps flowers coming.
- Deadhead: pinch off faded flowers every few days.
- Hang it low enough: if you can reach it easily, you’ll water it more often.
A long-handled lance makes daily watering quick, with no need to fetch the stepladder.
Most basket plants are tender, so hang them out only once frosts have passed. That’s usually late May in the south and early June further north. Our guide to hardening off bedding plants shows how to get them used to outdoor life first.
Common hanging basket mistakes
- Using sun-lovers in shade. Petunias and pelargoniums sulk on a north wall. Use Recipe 2 there instead.
- Too few plants. Five plants in a 35cm basket look thin for weeks. Aim for 7-9.
- Forgetting to feed. The compost runs short of food by midsummer. Without feeding, the display fades in August.
- Missing a watering. One very dry day in July can set a basket back for weeks.
- Hanging out too early. A late frost can kill tender bedding overnight. Wait until late May or early June.
Frequently asked questions
How many plants fit in a 35cm hanging basket?
Seven to nine plants fit a 35cm basket. Use one upright plant in the middle, three or four fillers around it and three or four trailers at the edge. Bigger plants such as pelargoniums take more room, so use the lower number with them.
What is the best hanging basket recipe for full sun?
Pelargoniums, trailing petunias and blue lobelia are a classic full-sun mix. Add silver helichrysum for contrast and calibrachoa for extra colour. Keep the compost moist, feed weekly and deadhead to keep it flowering.
What can I put in a hanging basket in shade?
Trailing begonias, busy lizzies, trailing fuchsias and bacopa all cope with shade. Variegated ivy softens the edge. Choose a downy mildew resistant busy lizzie such as ‘Beacon’ series.
How often should I water a summer hanging basket?
Check it every day in summer and water whenever the compost feels dry. In hot or windy weather a sunny basket may need watering morning and evening. Water slowly until it drips from the bottom.
When should I plant up a hanging basket in the UK?
Plant up in May and hang it out after the last frost. That is usually late May in southern England and early June further north. If you plant up earlier, keep the basket in a greenhouse or porch and harden it off before it goes out.
Can you grow tomatoes in a hanging basket?
Yes, choose a trailing cherry tomato bred for baskets, such as ‘Tumbling Tom Red’. Hang it in full sun on a strong bracket. Water daily and give a high-potash tomato feed once the first fruits form.
When summer ends, swap in our winter hanging basket ideas to keep the brackets busy, or browse the garden design hub for more container inspiration.
Our team produces practical UK gardening guidance from source research, contributor records and established horticultural practice. Editorial standards are overseen by Matt W.
