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Pretty Hanging Planter Ideas

Luke MillerUpdated: Feb. 24, 2022

Get creative with hanging planters. Raise them up to create a stage, double them up for more interest, or use them to add beauty and privacy to a setting. Here are 10 hanging flower basket ideas to try.

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Begonias and Buddies

These brightly colored tuberous begonia blooms look like decorations on a cake. They're paired with a bicolored petunia and a trailing fuchsia. The warm colors and matching planters help the baskets look cohesive even though they're planted with various species and cultivars, making this one of our favorite hanging flower basket ideas.

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Begonias Go Solo

Let's face it. When flowers look this good, there's little reason to pair them with other companions. Sometimes, in fact, you get a more dramatic effect with a single color, like these red tuberous begonias.

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Patriotic Petunias

Another one of our favorite hanging flower basket ideas is to go patriotic with a mix of red, white and, er, purple. It's hard to find a true blue, so this petunia combo will just have to do! It's boisterous enough to capture attention from a distance.

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Herbal Essence

Herbs are a natural for hanging baskets. They're isolated from other plants, so they get plenty of sunlight. And you can hang them near the kitchen door for convenient harvesting. Also, if frost is in the forecast, you can take the baskets to the garage at night to extend the growing season. Read about patio plants you can eat.

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Decorating a Blank Canvas

This white wall is the perfect canvas for these baskets of pink and blue flowers. The colors of the petunias and lobelia really pop against the neutral background. And planters are a smart way to add interest to an otherwise pedestrian-looking wall.

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Sitting on the Fence

Speaking of decorating, what can you do with a stockade privacy fence? How about topping it with a hanging basket? Fill it with a heat-loving annual such as portulaca (shown), petunia or sedum. Any type of fence is a great opportunity to get creative with hanging flower basket ideas.

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Photo: Pete Spiro/Shutterstock

Privacy, Please

Hanging baskets are a quick way to bring privacy (and ambiance) to an outdoor setting. These blank gaps could be filled by lattice, but the hanging flower baskets look more attractive. Notice, too, how well the pink goes with the gray structure. See how to make a deck planter.

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Double Up

Got a planter that looks a tad too small to be on its own? Pair it with a hanging basket to give the entryway decor more presence. While the planter shapes differ, the colors of the planters and the flowers match for a cohesive look.

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Another Double Play

You can also double up side by side. It's a good idea to use identical hanging baskets and flowers, in this case a mix of calibrachoa, so it looks intentional. And the hanging planters can still make a splash from a distance.

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Photo: Tatiana Makotra/Shutterstock

Flowing Color

Create an interesting visual effect by stairstepping two or more hanging baskets. These multicolored petunias appear to be cascading downward from their lofty perch.

Originally Published: April 03, 2019

Luke Miller

Luke Miller is an award-winning garden editor with 25 years' experience in horticultural communications, including editing a national magazine and creating print and online gardening content for a national retailer. He grew up across the street from a park arboretum and has a lifelong passion for gardening in general and trees in particular. In addition to his journalism degree, he has studied horticulture and is a Master Gardener.