Hanging flower baskets are one of the most popular ways to display blooms all season long. They can quickly add a flash of color around your home and patio or attract pollinators to the garden. Not only are hanging baskets fun to look at, but they are also fun to make. Grow your own bright, full, cascading flower baskets for yourself or as a beautiful spring gift!
Hanging baskets traditionally utilize three types of flowers to thrill, spill, and fill. The center will usually have a taller, more showy flower or foliage to attract visual attention. Around this center display, you can usually find various filler flowers that add a variety of colorful blooms and make your basket appear full. Then, trailing and cascading varieties are added around the edges to create a spilling effect. Use this hanging basket flower recipe with your favorite flowers for a basket that won’t disappoint. Need flower ideas? Check out our recommendations below.
Top flower choices for summer hanging baskets
- Petunia - Supertunia Mini Vista® Pink Star showsy pink and white striped flowers bloom continuously from planting to frost on sturdy stems up to 24” long. This vigorous grower with a full mounding habit can function as a filler or spiller element in a hanging planter or container as one of the best flowers for hanging baskets. Use by itself or in combination with other trailing annuals. Annual except in zones 10-11, part sun to sun, 6-12” tall. See All Supertunia Petunias.
- Calibrachoa - Superbells® Tropical Sunrise creates nonstop color from planting until frost, with self-cleaning flowers on trailing branches up to 18” long. Brilliant violet purple blooms dot the emerald green foliage all season long without deadheading. This annual loves heat and requires little fertilization. See All Calibrachoa.
- Sweet Alyssum - Blushing Princess® provides sweetly scented pale lavender blooms that cascade up to 36” long. Plant by itself in a large basket or combine with other vigorous moisture-loving annuals such as petunia, nemesia or calibrachoa. Annual except in zones 9-11, part sun to sun, 10-16” tall. See All Sweet Alyssum.
- Begonia - Double Delight® Primrose offers fragrant double yellow blooms with apricot overtones and a full cascading habit, making it a perfect choice for the best flowers for hanging baskets. The Double Delight series tolerates sun in cooler climates but prefers some shade in the South.
- Rockapulco® Impatiens - Orange Shades brighten up a patio or porch with baskets of flowers in tones of brilliant orange, salmon and peach. Long-blooming and self-cleaning, these are reliable shade lovers to pair with bright coleus, caladium or sweet potato vine for extra color. Annual except in zones 10-11, part shade to shade, 10-20” tall. See All Rockapulco® Double Impatiens.
- Lobelia - Laguna® Sky Blue offers ethereal sky-blue flowers that pair with many color schemes. It develops a full cascading habit up to 24” long and is more heat-tolerant than older lobelia varieties, with trimming to encourage fresh growth. Annual except in zones 9-11, part sun to sun, 6-12” tall. See All Laguna® Lobelia.
- Lantana - Luscious® varieties provide heat- and drought-tolerant performance with bold color. Place in a sunny basket and pair with Cuphea, Gaillardia or Salvia for a striking display. Annual except in zones 9-11, sun, 20-30” tall. See All Luscious® Lantana.
- Pelargonium (Geranium) - Boldly® Dark Red features velvety red flowers that coordinate beautifully with blue lobelia and white bacopa for a patriotic theme. Easy to grow with a full mounding habit, deadhead for continuous bloom. Heat and drought tolerant. Annual except in zones 9-11, part sun to sun, 10-12” tall. See All Boldly® Geraniums.
- Bacopa - Snowstorm® Giant Snowflake® shows snow-white flowers that lend classic elegance as a spiller. Trails up to 36” long and blooms from summer to frost. Combine with calibrachoa, petunia or verbena for a bright basket. Water consistently. Annual except in zones 9-11, part sun to sun, 4-8” tall. See All Snowstorm® Bacopa.
- Euphorbia - Diamond Frost® blooms with clouds of airy white flowers all season, weaving its wiry stems through the basket. Easy, long-lasting filler that works with many combinations. Annual except in zones 10-11, part sun to sun, 12-18” tall. See All Euphorbias.
- Nemesia - Sunsatia® Lemon features pale yellow orchid-like flowers that pair well with lobelia, calibrachoa, verbena and sweet potato vine. Best in spring and fall when cooler, but more heat-tolerant than many nemesias. Annual except in zones 10-11, part sun to sun, 6-10” tall. See All Sunsatia® Nemesia.
- Scaevola - Whirlwind® Blue II is a heat-tolerant, low-maintenance performer that blooms all season without deadheading and attracts pollinators. Pair with lantana, Texas primrose and gomphrena for a strong spiller role. Annual except in zones 10-11, sun, 8-14" tall. See All Whirlwind® Scaevola.
- Calibrachoa (Double, Superbells) - The extra varieties provide continuous color; Supertunias, Superbella and Calibrachoa work together to create a vibrant trio for hanging baskets. Annual except in zones 10-11, part sun to sun, 4-12” tall. See All Supertunia® Petunias.
- Calylophus - Ladybird® Sunglow, a native Texas trailing filler that tolerates heat and drought once established; pair with heat-tolerant annuals like Blue My Mind evolvulus, Superbena verbena, and Superbells calibrachoa. Annual except in zones 8-10, sun, 4-8” tall. See All Ladybird® Calylophus.
These selections are examples of “thriller, spiller, filler” combinations-center showy plants, trailing edges, and medium-height fillers to create a lush cascading effect. For a broader list of possibilities, other popular choices include petunias, bacopa, lobelia, calibrachoa, verbenas, gillenia and more, which pair well with greens like ivy-leaf geraniums and trailing grasses.
Other essential plant families and notes
They come in a rainbow of colors, including patterns and flowers with prominent veins that add even more color. Supertunias don't need deadheading and bloom nonstop as they trail over the edges of their pots, providing months of color. Trailing plants positioned in the top of a hanging basket will soon spill over and cover the sides. Hanging baskets containing summer flowering annuals require regular watering, sometimes daily during hot, sunny weather.
Plants for summer baskets and season-long color
For ideas on selecting plants for containers to provide seasonal interest, see our pages on summer and winter container plants. Plants for summer baskets include Argyranthemum, Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’, Pelargonium (geranium), Lobelia erinus, Petunia, Salvia and Nicotiana, Glandularia, Helichrysum petiolare, and tumbling tomatoes.
Planting, care and maintenance
Preparing and planting a hanging basket involves lining a standard wire basket, choosing a watering system, and selecting peat-free, multipurpose compost. Watering systems like drip irrigation reduce waste and adapt to plant growth and weather. Aftercare includes daily watering checks in summer, feeding with liquid fertilizer in spring through early autumn, and regular deadheading to encourage continuous flowering. In winter, baskets may require shelter and a frost-friendly position.
When arranging plants in the hanging basket, start with one central plant to create structure, surround it with trailing plants to cover the sides, and top with upright varieties for texture and height. This layout helps maximize visual impact while supporting a healthy, cascading display.
Common problems are primarily watering-related: underwatering can lead to wilting, while overwatering can wash away nutrients and dilute feed. Water the basket first, then apply diluted liquid feed, and ensure good drainage. Watch for pests such as aphids, slugs, snails and vine weevils, and manage powdery mildews by improving air circulation and sun exposure where possible.
Bottom line: how to design striking hanging baskets
Trailing plants like petunias, verbena and calibrachoa are ideal for the outer edges, while upright or mounding plants provide the centerpiece and mid-layer interest. The right mix creates a display that looks full and lush from every angle and lasts throughout the growing season.
How to plant a hanging basket | Grow at Home | Royal Horticultural Society
There’s nothing quite as captivating as a well-kept entrance flanked by exuberantly overflowing hanging baskets. Filled with color, texture and scent, baskets brighten up sheds, garages, fences and patios. The design possibilities are plentiful, and with careful plant selection you can enjoy long-term seasonal displays.