There’s nothing quite like the colourful blooms of a stunning hanging basket outside of a quintessential English pub in the spring or hung by the front door of a quaint cottage in summer, but if you’re hoping to recreate the beautiful floral displays yourself, the date you hang your basket out could play a key role. As most hanging basket flowers and plants tend to be classed as tender, they require specific conditions in order to thrive.
“A glorious hanging basket is hard to beat,” said experts from The English Garden. “But if they’re to live up to expectations, hanging baskets are quite high-maintenance and take some looking after.”
The right care for your hanging basket flowers begins long before they are in place and starts from the moment you decide to place them outdoors. In fact, one of the main mistakes people make is planting their hanging baskets and putting them outside before the weather is warm enough for them to thrive.
“Most popular bedding plants used in hanging baskets are tender, so don’t plant them up and put them outside too early, before the risk of frost has passed,” said The English Garden’s expert team. However, the specific date will vary depending on where in the UK you live.
This is because the last frost can arrive at different times across the nation. In the south, the last frost may arrive earlier than in more northern parts of England and Scotland.
In most cases, your hanging basket should be safe to hang outside between late May and early June. If you have a greenhouse you may be able to get things started a little sooner.
The experts explained: “To get a headstart, if you have a greenhouse you can plant them up earlier in spring, grow them on under glass, and then put the already established basket outside at the end of May or early June.”
Once outdoors, it’s time to make sure your flowers and plants are getting everything they need, that means enough water, sunlight and protection from any harsh winds if you live somewhere that is particularly windy. In order to keep your flowers thriving, the experts recommended a “dedicated” watering routine.
You should water your hanging basket every day. One way to make sure your plants have received enough water is to look at the bottom of your basket.
If the basket is dripping water for at least 20 minutes after watering then you have done enough, but if not then it may need a little extra hydration. You may need to up your watering schedule in times of extreme heat and if such weather is forecast it’s worth moving your hanging basket to a slightly shaded spot for a few days.
Topping up nutrients with hanging basket compost or tomato fertiliser (roughly at a quarter strength) once a week can give your flowers that added boost.
