The Christmas tree and fairy lights have added plenty of sparkle inside the house, but when it comes to the front of the house, there’s nothing like a festive hanging basket to add an extra splash of colour and make things look super Christmassy.
Rather than buying a pricey ready-made planter, I’m all for grabbing some festive greenery and putting together my own. By choosing the right combination of cold-loving plants and winter flowers, it's hard to go wrong. And when it comes to any garden container idea, I’m a big fan of the 'thriller, filler, spiller' technique, which pretty much guarantees perfect planters every time.
‘A successful winter basket is all about balance,’ says Mark Sage, Head of Horticulture at B&Q. ‘Consider a centrepiece ‘thriller’ plant for height, something that will provide foliage colour all year round such as a conifer or cordyline, then add in a few ‘fillers’ planted in threes for flower or foliage colour, such as outdoor cyclamen, silverleaf, ornamental cabbage, primroses, or pansies. And then finish things off by adding one or two trailing plants or ‘spillers’, like trailing ivy or sedums, to soften the edges of the basket.’
1. Choose a selection of cold-loving plants
When it comes to choosing a good combination of plants for a hanging basket, it’s much like choosing plants for a spring or summertime basket in terms of the shapes and sizes. The big difference is that you’ll need to choose cold-hardy plants for winter gardening that can cope with frosts and freezing weather.
Following the ‘thriller, filler, spiller rule’, I always make sure I have at least one taller upright plant or evergreen as the ‘thriller’ centrepiece of the basket. Then as my ‘filler’ plants, I’ll go for winter-flowering cyclamen, pansies or violas, alongside a few bushier berry-bearing plants, then finishing off with some smaller trailing ivys as the ‘spillers’.
It’s also worth remembering that plants grow very little over winter, so I always make sure to choose good-sized plants to start with and in sufficient numbers to make an impact as they’re unlikely to get much bigger.
2. Prep your hanging basket
When it comes to how to plant a hanging basket, to make things easier, rest your basket on a pot or bucket so it doesn’t wobble around as you fill it. Make sure to pierce holes in the plastic liner to provide drainage. In winter, especially, it’s important that water can drain out as it can easily turn into a block of ice when it’s freezing, which will kill off the plants. Winter hanging baskets don’t dry out as quickly as summer hanging baskets, so they won’t require watering as much over winter.
Half-fill your basket with compost before you start putting in your plants. ‘Use a moisture-retentive compost like Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Peat-free Compost, £8.50, B&Q, and don’t forget to mix in a slow-release granular feed,’ advises Mark. ‘It gives the plants the steady nutrition they need over a long season when we’re not feeding regularly.’
3. Add height with a centrepiece plant
To give a hanging basket extra height, starting with a taller plant that will be the centrepiece or ‘thriller’ element of your arrangement is always a good idea. I’ve gone for a cheery skimmia rubella plant, £10.49, B&Q, that has bushy foliage plus pretty red flower buds.
‘In terms of making a hanging basket feel seasonal or for Christmas hanging basket ideas - a sprig of pine or some berried skimmia instantly gives a festive look,’ says Mark.
I’ve positioned the skimmia centrally in the basket, so it looks good from every angle, as baskets can often rotate a bit when they’re hanging. It’s worth thinking about what angle your container is to be viewed at when positioning plants, with a wall-hung basket, positioning the thriller at the back might be better.
Shop my 'thriller' plant picks
4. Fill up with colourful bedding plants
Once the largest plant is in, you can then start adding in the bushier bedding plants and winter-flowerers to fill out the basket, positioning them around the centrepiece plant.
I’ve gone for pretty cyclamen, £8.99 for three, B&Q and white mini violas, to add colour and contrast. The flowers can be pinched back as they fade so they’ll hopefully continue to flower all winter long.
When it comes to ‘filler’ plants for a hanging basket, go for mid-height, mounded plants with smaller leaves and flowers that will create fullness and add mass to the container. Plant fillers in groups of three, five, or more (rather than in even numbers) to give a more natural, random effect.
Shop my 'filler' plant picks
5. Add trailing plants to soften the edges
To complete the arrangement, adding in a few plants that trail over the edges of the container is the perfect finishing touch. Trailing plants or ‘spillers’ help to soften the edges and add contrast and movement and can be popped in gaps between your filler plants.
I’ve gone for small variegated ivy plants, that I picked up on offer at £10 for four, B&Q. They are inexpensive and hardy and can be replanted if you make up new container arrangements for your front garden come spring or summer.
Shop my 'spiller' plant picks
6. Finish off with a few festive touches
Once everything has been planted up and you’re happy with the arrangement, then your basket is ready to hang. Choose a spot that is sheltered from the wind and rain if you can and hang your basket on a sturdy hook or bracket.
To make it look extra festive over the holiday season, adding in a few sparkly Christmas decorations or sprigs of holly and berries can be a fun touch. Or why not weave a set of micro lights into the foliage to add some sparkle after dark as a fab garden lighting idea.
‘Check the compost regularly - even in winter, baskets dry out quicker than you’d think,’ advises Mark. ‘If the top feels dry, give it a thorough drink. Deadheading pansies and primroses makes a real difference too; it encourages fresh flowers and keeps the basket looking tidy. And after a heavy frost, don’t panic - most winter bedding will bounce back once the day warms up.’
Will you be making up a festive hanging basket for your front garden? What are your favourite winter plant varieties... let us know.
