Perfect for displaying colourful plants and flowers and beautifying the wall of your house, hanging baskets are a great way to make the most of your outdoor space, especially if you’re limited on what you can do in your garden.
But gone are the days of just simple, traditional metal or plastic hanging baskets. Now, there’s an abundance of modern designs and styles to choose from, from rattan to self-watering baskets and intricately designed metalwork to cone-shaped designs.
Whether you’re looking for ways to zhuzh up your existing hanging baskets or want some new, trendy options for your front garden, we’ve looked far and wide and found the best options to buy.
Best hanging baskets
Dunelmwww.dunelm.com
To add to your stunning foliage, pick this hanging basket with its green hues that can be used throughout the year. Handmade from durable plastic and iron, making it perfect for outdoor use, the non-traditional shape of basket is sure to grab the attention of neighbours.
www.waitrosegarden.com
Made from 100% recycled plastic, this sleek Elho green hanging basket comes with an integrated reservoir so you can water less frequently and keep your plants hydrated during dry spells. A good choice for contemporary displays, the frost-resistant deep bowl also helps to encourage healthy root growth.
www.nkuku.com
Made from zinc with a charming, aged rust finish, this hanging planter would fit in perfectly in cottage-inspired or wild gardens. And over time, it will weather which will only enhance this rustic charm! It comes in a traditional round shape with a practical hanging chain and holes in the base for drainage.
www.argos.co.uk
Rattan is all the trend this year and we love the two-tone look on this pair of faux rattan hanging baskets that give a much more contemporary feel. Tough, durable, and weather-resistant, each basket comes pre-lined for easy planting and will hold up to seven litres of compost.
www.crocus.co.uk
Suitable for both modern and traditional gardens, this galvanised steel ribbed hanging planter has been designed to not only look great with its aged zinc finish but also for easy maintenance. Sign us up! The deeper planter encourages deep root systems for healthier displays and less watering required.
www.waitrosegarden.com
Give your garden wall a classic makeover with this magnificent cast-iron combination. Supplied with a hanging chain, it's a robust option which makes it ideal if your garden is in a particularly windy part of the country.
www.waitrosegarden.com
Switch up your rounded patio hanging baskets and choose this coned planter instead. Made from a durable, rot-proof, handwoven poly rattan, the pointed shape adds different dimensions to your garden while the slate grey colour makes it an attractive choice for modern gardens.
For a truly eye-catching hanging basket display, pick this glamorous globe hanging basket with heaps of personality. The space between the spherical bars allows your flora to grow freely - simply open the top, pop in your plants, and hang it indoors or in your garden.
www.crocus.co.uk
Add a little sunny Andalusian flavour to your garden with this Spanish style hanging basket. Made in hand-welded steel and plastic dipped for rust protection, it's been finished in black with decorative flourishes at the top and bottom. It provides the perfect foil for brightly coloured blooms.
www.wilko.com
For a cheap and cheerful hanging basket, pick this hanging basket from Wilko. It comes with a natural coco lining, great for absorbing and maintaining moisture, and the simple steel metalwork comes in a gorgeous sage colour that adds a vintage flair to your outdoor space.
www.amara.com
Available in brown or black poly rattan, we adore the sleek cane appearance on this pair of handmade baskets that'll make a feature of your plants and flowers. Perfect for updating your outdoor space, each planter is water-resistant and comes with a drainage hole and plug.
www.crocus.co.uk
Looking to transform your garden this summer? Add a little Mediterranean flavour to your garden or balcony with this deep ribbed terracotta bowl made by Deroma in Italy. It's frost-resistant down to -15°C but it's worth noting it doesn't come with drainage holes so you'll need to be careful with watering.
Hanging basket brackets and liners
These baskets won't hang themselves! You'll need to pick out brackets so you can affix your hanging basket to the wall - we'd recommend choosing one that matches the aesthetic of your baskets for a seamless, stylish look.
If your hanging basket doesn't have an enclosed base, you may also want to buy a hanging basket liner which will help to contain your plants, promote air circulation, and retain water, releasing it slowly into the soil.
www.wilko.com
Ornate and a good fit for any garden, this stainless steel bracket measures 22 x 26cm and can carry a load capacity of up to 8kg.
www.crocus.co.uk
A perfect pairing to the Cast Iron Hanging Basket, this distressed cast-iron bracket is suitable for suspending baskets up to 30cm in diameter and measures 19 x 22cm.
www.crocus.co.uk
Available in two sizes, 35cm and 40cm diameter, this innovative coco fibre liner includes a biodegradable ‘Watersave’ layer in the base which acts as a built-in reservoir.
Best hanging basket plants
Now you’ve got your hanging basket, you’ll need to adorn it with some gorgeous plants that'll waft floral scents and bring a pop of colour to your wall. Here are some great varieties to add to your shopping basket, but for more check out our pick of the best plants for hanging baskets.
www.thompson-morgan.com
For a burst of vibrant colour, you can’t beat a two-tone fuchsia. This trailing includes the ‘Swingtime’, ‘Southgate’, ‘Dark Eyes’, ‘La Campanella’, and ‘Marinka’ varieties. Each produces huge, double blooms in both soft and bright pinks, purples, and crimsons from June-October.
www.thompson-morgan.com
Flowering June through to October, this bestselling begonia produces large, cascading double blooms in a gorgeous blend of apricot and orange. They'll perform whatever the weather, in a range of light positions, and the abundant trailing habit of this variety makes them a great value plant for hanging baskets.
www.crocus.co.uk
With flowers in an intense shade of magenta-purple, lobelia is a wonderful choice for jazzing up your summer hanging baskets. Impressive in colour and their trailing habits, they'll flower from May through to the first frosts and look spectacular when planted with rich blues, purples, pinks and silver too.
Hanging basket ideas
Looking for inspiration on how to upcycle your existing hanging baskets or ways to make your hanging basket more enticing and dynamic? We've found some fab ideas to give your hanging baskets that 'wow' factor that'll be the envy of nosy neighbours.
Pimp up plain chains
Add a chic and artistic touch to your hanging planters by replacing the chains with lengths of strong ribbon. You can also turn a normal pot into a hanging one with ribbon.
Brighten a cheap pot
Upgrade a plain plastic hanging planter by decorating it with foam stickers in similar colours to the flowers.
Light up blooms
Enjoy your fab hanging baskets after dark by lighting them up with a solar-powered spotlight. It attaches easily to the chains and the sensor lights your blooms for up to six hours a night, all year round.
www.waitrosegarden.com
Revamp a plastic planter
Washi tape transforms a lacklustre planter into something lovely in a matter of minutes. This tape is super durable and flexible and available in a variety of widths, textures, patterns and colours. Check out misopaper.co.uk for a huge range of designs.
String it up
Repurpose an old string bag, with a pot of bright blooms popped inside, to create a unique hanging basket.
www.matalan.co.uk
Use a pulley to make maintenance easy
How clever is this? The Hi-Lo Pulley lets you lower your hanging basket by up to 1m to a more manageable height for watering or trimming (or picking strawberries!) and raise it up again when you’re done. It supports a weight of up to 9kg.
www.waitrosegarden.com