10 expert plant choices for winter hanging baskets
A winter hanging basket will bring a splash of colour to the garden even when it’s dark early and chilly outside.
Fix a winter hanging basket by the front door to greet your guests, choosing subtly-scented plants such as pansies, violas or herbs to add that extra touch of welcome. Or hook your colourful winter hanging basket on a garden wall or fence left bare by summer-flowering climbers.
For a super-festive touch, you can even suspend winter hanging baskets from branches of garden trees. But care is required when choosing plants that will survive the coldest and darkest months.
You need the very best plants to survive the harsh winter weather, stay aesthetically-pleasing in the baskets throughout the drearier months, and continue to flower until the start of spring.
Below are 10 expert plant choices perfect for winter hanging baskets...
Winter pansies and violas
Easy to find throughout the season in any garden centre, cheerful winter-flowering pansies are a popular choice for winter hanging baskets. Look out for the delicate, yet sharp scent they bring to the winter air.
“The vibrant colours and long-lasting blooms of pansies can brighten up your front door, garden fence, pergola or wherever they are hung”, Julian Palphramand, head of plants at British Garden Centres tells Country Living.
Annelise Brilli, horticultural expert at plant and seed firm Thompson & Morgan, says that her favourite variety for winter hanging baskets is Pansy ‘Frizzle Sizzle Mixed’. She loves this pansy’s “frilly faces that come in a wide range of jewel-like colours, injecting oodles of colour into the late winter and spring garden”.
Violas
The miniature cousins of pansies, pretty violas will cascade beautifully from hanging baskets.
Annelise recommends Viola ‘Allspice Mixed’. She explains: “This viola’s pretty faces come with delicate markings that invite closer inspection – with the surprising discovery that each flower colour also offers its own distinctive perfume.”
Primroses and Polyanthus
Primroses and polyanthus are easily-available hardy winter flowers that will add an instant pop of colour to your winter display.
“Primroses can be planted both on the top and sides of baskets, while polyanthus, with their distinctive umbel-shaped flowers, are a great choice for a colourful winter show,” says Julian.
Hellebore 'Christmas Carol'
Also known as the ‘Christmas rose’, what could be more festive in winter than a white Hellebore? “The ‘Christmas Carol’ variety of this hardy perennial provides attractive evergreen foliage plus crisp white flowers that shine out even on the dullest days from mid-winter to early spring,” says Annelise.
Hellebores also come in other shades, including lime-edged white/cream, purples and even deep ruby red.
Carex oshimensis 'Everillo'
Annelise calls this exuberant Carex “a fountain of brilliant yellow, cascading foliage that injects a dash of sunshine into the coldest, drabbest days.”
For a winter hanging basket, it is an unusual – but invaluable and reliable – perennial to include.
Cyclamen coum
Julia adds that cyclamen is a perennial option for winter hanging baskets, offering excellent value for money. Common Cyclamen varieties have delicate pink, red and white flowers, and are ideal for planting into hanging baskets to bring height and colour.
However, Annelise recommends the eye-catching hot pink Cyclamen coum, or eastern sowbread.
“Delicate-looking but surprisingly tough, Cyclamen coum will power through the worst months of January to March, delivering those pink flowers hovering above rounded, marbled foliage,” she says.
Gaultheria procumbens
Famously tough, Gaultheria procumbens – also known as checkerberry – is a low-maintenance evergreen that won’t give you any trouble, says Annelise.
With glossy bright green leaves, its red winter berries will spill over hanging baskets providing a festive welcome hanging beside the front door.
Erica x darleyensis f. albiflora 'White Perfection'
Hardy and long-lasting, winter-flowering heathers add texture and colour to your winter baskets. Annelise recommends Erica x darleyensis f. albiflora 'White Perfection'
“This RHS award-winning heather is a robust winter performer,” she says. “It forms a bushy mound of evergreen foliage covered with sparkling white flowers from February to March.”
Hardy herbs
Fragrant herbs offer a lovely aromatic option for your winter hanging baskets.
“Hardy evergreens such as rosemary, sage, thyme, lavender, and mint will thrive, adding beauty and aroma even in colder weather,” says Julian.
Crocuses
And for a final flourish, pop some crocus bulbs in your winter hanging basket alongside your flowering plants and be ready for a delightful surprise in the spring. “As the winter-flowerers fades, blooms will emerge, adding a final flourish to your hanging basket display,” Julian explains.
Crocus come in a lovely sweep of shades, from deep purple through soft blues, lemons and lilac to pure white, so there’s sure to be one to suit your winter hanging basket colour scheme.
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