While most perennials and annuals can be successfully grown in hanging pots, there are some that do better than others. This short list of plants has been compiled by experts to help novice flower gardeners or those who have never planted a flower garden before, find the best perennials to plant in hanging pots. While most flowering plants can be successfully planted in hanging pots, some plants are better suited for hanging baskets.
Daffodils are one of the easiest perennials to grow. They are often grouped with other annuals as they grow very quickly. They will start growing in the spring and continue blooming throughout the year. When buying or planting flowers for hanging baskets, it is important to make sure that the flowers will actually grow into a plant and bloom. Because daffodils do not grow very tall once they bloom, if they are planted too close together they will become crowded and look bad.
Geranium plants also belong in the category of flowering plants for hanging baskets, but they are much better suited for container gardens as opposed to ground gardens. They are good for hanging baskets, as their dark green leaves look great when sprinkled on the soil after they have bloomed. What makes geraniums such a good choice for hanging baskets is that their roots spread out well and they can even be dug up to aid in taking root when you want to transplant a plant from one location to another.
Sunflowers are another popular choice for growing flowering plants for hanging baskets and are available in many colors, shapes and forms. In general, sunflowers prefer full sunlight. In areas where you will rarely get full sunlight, there are shade-loving plants in the family which can provide the needed shade for your hanging baskets. Two of the most popular are clematis plants and stargazer. Clematis plants are more expensive than other varieties but they offer full sun coverage throughout the summer season.
Variegated plants are a great choice for flower baskets and can often be found in the group of perennial flowers for hanging baskets. These are plants that have gray or brown centers with a red or purple stripe down the center. There are several varieties of variegated plants which include the African violet, scarlet sage, blue star, black-eyed Susan, hollyhock, white-crowned maidenhair and pink-crowned Santana. Some of these plants come in different shades of green depending on how much of the color has been allowed to develop. You should be sure to choose shades of green that contrast well with the other colors in the garden as well as compliment the blooms on the plants. This will allow them to fully develop and blossom.
Shapes are a very important part of developing a successful planting design. There are several types of shapes available including the traditional vase-like shape, the half-moon, rectangle and square. All of these different shapes are extremely useful in different applications. For example, a square or half-moon shape hanging basket can easily be used as a plant stand when you are planning to use a smaller sized planter for the majority of your flower planting containers. You can then place one of the taller plants at the bottom of the square or half-moon shape and place smaller plants above and below it.
Although perennial flowers for hanging baskets are wonderful for bringing color and life to your garden, it is important that you also make sure that you plant some perennials that can grow well in different environments and in different seasons. One such plant is the impatiens or rocket. The impatiens is a climbing vine that grows up to seven feet tall and blooms during the spring and summer, long before most flowers grow to any size.