Plant suggestions for hanging baskets

I have many hanging baskets around the edge of a large covered outdoor area. This area does get a lot of sun during most of the day. I've changed the plants in these baskets so many times I'm almost bankrupt. They need to be along the edge of the area is necessary as heads get knocked, so I figure I'm planting the wrong choice of plants that do not tolerate almost all day sun. I thought geraniums would thrive but not so. I have to accept my life sentence for plant murder but surely there are some great plants that could thrive in a sunny area in hanging baskets or I give up the whole idea and get pots and keep my feet on the ground. I'm wearing thin of so often re-doing this. I have a couple of pics of when it was looking great in early days. Now RIP. Poor plants. p.s. All plants bought at my local Bunnings.......ooooops Thanks.

Hopes of herbs RIP

A trial at a cutting - dead

2 of these now drooping - sad

Good days - happy here

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Comments

Jason

Hi @NothingSurvives,

Sorry to hear of your troubles keeping plants alive. Could you please tell us where you are based? I will be happy to tag some of our resident horticulturalists in the Workshop community to provide some easy-to-follow suggestions for you. We have some wonderfully helpful members who will be happy to assist you to transform your garden.

Welcome to Workshop. We're really pleased you could join us and look forward to you building up your confidence and skills in no time.

Jason

ProjectPete

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/5999#Comment_5999

Burro tails are a nice option @NothingSurvives

NothingSurvives

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/5999#Comment_5999

Hello Jason,
Thanks for your response. Silly of me not to mention but I live in Toowoomba and my closest Bunnings that I use is Anzac St.
Be grateful for advice.
Judith.

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/65119#Comment_65119

No worries @NothingSurvives.

Let me tag @Noelle for you - there is nothing she doesn't know about plants! I am sure she will be happy to give you some suggestions for hardy plants you can grow in hanging baskets up there in southern Queensland.

Jason

Noelle

Oh dear, you are having a hard time!

What about MIni Bougs - miniature bougainvilleas? They thrive in full sun, love hanging baskets and flower their heads off for months at a time. There are lots of colour variations to choose from.

Your zygos should do OK - if they're dropping and losing leaves, maybe you're watering them too often? They are succulents so should thrive in a hanging planter with a cactus potting mix that drains freely.

Calibrachoa (see pic below) should do quite well - they look like compact petunias with smaller flowers and leaves - they flower for months and prolifically too. Bunnings usually have them in the garden department.

New Guinea impatiens may do reasonably well because of your summer warmth and humidity but they will want some shade during the hottest hours of the day - they are 'under-storey' plants in their natural habitat.

Cape daisies (osteospermums) are another hardy flowering plant that should do well. Often grown as annuals they are really perennial and can last for several years if pruned back regularly. They're members of the daisy family so that means they are generally hard to kill!

Avoid plants with soft leaves - they'll wilt quickly in full sun.

Hope that gives you a few new ideas!

NothingSurvives

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/65115#Comment_65115

Thank you so much for caring enough to make a suggestion.
Burro's tails sound great. I'll give anything a go.
This is my last try at doing something. Our covered outdoor area so large we have 3 table settings and is bare.
Thanks again.
Judith

greygardener

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/95265#Comment_95265

Don't be disheartened Judith. Good luck with those fantastic suggestions from Noelle.

Former_Member

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/114179#Comment_114179

@NothingSurvives

Burro's tail don't like full, full sun either, in that climate! they prefer morning sun, but bright indirect light is best... do you want something that will spill or what?

Your christmas/easter cactus also needs bright, indirect light - bright shade. Most of the 'full sun' cultivation notes on these types of plants are from places in the UK and US that have a much less uv loaded climate.
calibrachoa are excellent... I'm surprised that geraniums didn't work - what soil mix did you use? They like a lotta food when they're restricted. Dianthus grow well in full sun, but you have to have a lot of lime in the mix. Small creeping mesembryanthemum will hang and spill, and you can put a larger upright form in the middle, if you want something perennial... the smaller ones come in everything from a finer, needle leaf, to a fat jellybean style.
Petunias are tough as tough.
Some of the succulents will take full sun ( you gotta know which!), and can be left to dry out with no problems.
hope that helps and I'm not too late with this post!

Mathy

Hi @NothingSurvives and welcome! I’m a terrible gardener, but I manage to keep Zygo Cactus going. I don’t put mine in the full sun, and I pot them in orchid potting mix for drainage - they do not like being wet, which makes them great, as they don’t turn their toes up very easily if too dry. Now, having said that about the sun, I live in Adelaide, so our”full sun” is like an overnight on after burners, and I see you’re in QLD, so probably different there.

Also, watering is often an issue for us people who can’t seem to get things to thrive - usually either too much, or not enough 😂 Do you also have space to put things in pots down on the ground?

Some good suggestions from @Noelle - is it worth printing/screen shotting those and taking them to the Nursery with you, to discuss?

All the best, cheers Deb

PS: Chuck some water on the Zygos, they will come back a treat.

Madcrazyartist

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/6243#Comment_6243

I second what Noelle said about calibrachoa. Mine is in full sun, it's growing brilliantly and is absolutely covered in flowers! I live in a sub-tropical climate so it's probably very similar to yours. Mine is in a plastic pot though, not a basket with coir lining. I'm guessing baskets would dry out more quickly.

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/65416#Comment_65416

Many thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience with the community @Madcrazyartist. Welcome to Workshop. We're really pleased to have you join us. Feel free to post anytime you have something to share or want to ask a question. We have helpful members sharing advice and inspiration every day so we're sure you'll fit right in!

Jason

lushgardener

I would try using **** plants. They are really hard, love the heat, and think are better in baskets then the garden, so their babies can't them take over the garden. They look really LUSH and are really easy to take care of. Also I would suggest some succulents, string of pearl, string of beans. And why not try putting a few devil's ivy or common ivy in a basket. Have fun giving these a go maybe. I'm happy with my baskets, so I wish you luck with yours also.

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/6561#Comment_6561

Hi @lushgardener,

Many thanks for joining in the discussion on Workshop and sharing your knowledge and experience. It sounds like you have a lot to offer the community. We look forward to reading more of your posts soon.

Feel free to post anytime you need a hand or have something to share. We have loads of clever and creative members sharing amazing projects and helpful advice every day, so we're sure you'll fit right in!

Please let me know if you ever need help getting the most from the site or have any feedback about how we can improve Workshop for you.

Thanks again,

Jason

redracer01

Can you please tell me your watering schedule and when you water them do you soak them till the water comes out the bottom? What kind of soil did you use for your plants?

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/6565#Comment_6565

Is this a question for @Noelle @redracer01?

I'm sure she would be happy to help with tips on watering and how to pot hanging baskets. But it might help to let her know what kind of plants you have and where you are based.

Thanks,

Jason

Noelle

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/65438#Comment_65438

Hi @redracer01

Hanging planters need more frequent watering than pots sitting at ground level, especially if they are exposed to wind and also sun. Over summer you may need to water every day when it is warm/windy. A point to note: if hanging plants are in full sun and the forecast is for high heat or strong, hot winds, take them down and put them in a shaded or protected spot so they don't 'fry'.

It's important to ensure hanging pots are thoroughly watered - until the excess is pouring from the bottom of the pots. If you have hanging baskets (wire lined with coir or similar), take them down and soak each in a bucket of water until air bubbles cease to rise, then re-hang so excess water drains away.

Always use a premium quality potting mix for hanging planters - one that includes controlled release fertiliser, wetting agent and water-storing granules to keep plants healthy and assist in moisture absorption and retention.

deedums

Very bad news! I suggest the problem is the coir fibre baskets. They dry out very quickly and are really only for succulents and cactus which need excellent drainage. If you want to stick with those baskets, then install an auto-misting system. Bunnings sell them. We have a very simple misting system but it works really well in the hot summers where I put it on 3 times a day!The plant in the terracotta pot is probably getting too much water sitting in the saucer. I always cut back dead or dying plants and voila, they spring back to life. If you don't know the names of the plants, then join Facebook group, Plant Identification Australia and upload your pics. Then you can research to find out what growing conditions they like.

Also, plants have seasons where they die back naturally such as the Zygo cactus only flowering in spring/summer or the cold winter kills them.

Your terrace may be facing west so it is too hot for most plants except succulents and cactii. If it is west-facing, then put up shade cloth. I have a grow to sell plant business and lose many plants too so no need to feel bad! I have also given up on some species. Good luck with the next plantings.

Plantlover

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/6573#Comment_6573

Disneyland have the most stunning hanging baskets with a fabulous mix of complimentary plants if you are looking for great hanging basket ideas. I copy their "recipe" for their baskets to add a mix of colour: 1 Thriller (to create height and a vertical effect - I often pick a foilage plant such as coleous) 2 Filler (a mound type plant to fill the basket like calibrachoa or petunia, and maybe something like lobelia to add a fine flower as well), and 3 a spiller (to over hang the edge such as sweet potato vine, or money wort). At the moment I am in love with my super light pink pelargonium (ivy type) that are flowering like mad and look amazing in a hanging basket growing over the sides just on their own. I have a mix of a pale pink almost white flowering kind, with a red flowering kind in the same basket and it's absolutely stunning, low maintenance and grows so easily from cuttings. I have maiden hair ferns in coir pots, and they love moisture, and they have survived ok, but I do prefer plastic pots for my hanging baskets because they need more moisture. A hack for Coir fibre hanging baskets is that if you cut them with small slits, you can have the plant outside the basket, with the roots on the inside, as well as planting plants out the top. In warmer months, I like to water my hanging baskets daily, with a fortnightly dose of seasol.

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/65546#Comment_65546

Must be the first time we've had Disneyland as a source of inspiration on Workshop @Plantlover. Nice work! Many thanks for joining in the discussion and sharing your thoughts. It's fantastic to have you join the community. We are looking forward to seeing more of your posts soon.

Please let me know if you ever need a hand getting the most from the site, or have any feedback about how we can make Workshop more useful for you.

Thanks again,

Jason

renef

What is the name of the plant in the third photo please?

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/65119#Comment_65119

Hello @renef

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's fabulous to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about the hanging plant baskets.

Let me tag @NothingSurvives to make them aware of your question. Looking at the photo and the shape of the leaves, I think it is a Christmas Cactus. Do you have your own set of hanging plants or are you just starting out?

Let me tag our experienced members @Noelle and @Adam_W for their opinion.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Noelle

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/99626#Comment_99626

Christmas Cactus - Zygocactus - Schlumbergera (genus name) It could be any one of six or seven species or a hybrid. There are hundreds of forms and colours available.

Akanksha

Followers of this popular discussion might like to check out @Noelle's guide on How to choose plants for hanging baskets which contains a wide range of suggestions, along with handy tips.

As always, feel free to ask any questions. We would be happy to assist.

Akanksha

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