Flowers for hanging baskets

[SimpleSimon]

Morning,

I've taken on the challenge from my OH of growing enough flowers for about 20 big hanging baskets next spring but I know nothing about flowers. Where should I start? I've got a big poly tunnel various heated propergators. What seeds should I buy and can I plant anything now to overwinter in the tunnel?

Any inspiration would be great
Ta.

[burnie]

I like a fushia in the middle, I tried sweet peas thinking they would hang down, but they didn't, they climbed up the chains and then sort of folded over and looked a bit of a mess really, so I'd avoid those.

[mcdood]

Hi Simon, 20 big hanging baskets is quite a lot of plants. Most plants used in hanging baskets are half hardy annuals/perennials so you would sow in March or potentially Feb but will need heat. What does your wife like flower wise or colour wise?. Do you want them big and brash or subtle?
Some that I've used are pelargonium , petunia, fuschia, lobelia, begonia for semishade, foliage - heucherella, nepeta, cinneraria, ivy.
With care you can overwinter a lot of these plants or overwinter cuttings you take in summer once you have some stock from seed.

[veggiechicken]

I llke the big fat blowsy begonias as they're easy to grow from tubers, come back year after year and can be propagated from stem cuttings.
At the end of the year, I bung all my hanging baskets and pots into the greenhouse to overwinter. Cut the geraniums down and use the healthy cuttings for new plants. Fuchsias and begonias are left to die back in situ.
For winter colour I plant a few baskets with pansies, ajuga and ivy.
Good luck!

[SimpleSimon]

Haha I thought it would be alot of plants but we have a big polytunnel 11*5m so that is where the challenge sorta came from. We do have space indoors in heated propergators to sow a bit early but probably not a crazy amount as the chillis would be taking up a fair bit of our space in Feb. She is very keen on the trailing fuschia (I think) and we have some from this year that are from a garden center. Can I take cuttings and over winter them? I will look after them fairly well as I overwinter some chilli plants on a heat tray. I can probably make room for a couple of normal sized trays.

And defo some of them need to be big and brash

[veggiechicken]

Nice article about Big and Brash Begonias...............https://ferndalegardencentre.co.uk/g...rous-begonias/

[nickdub]

You don't mention this, but I find the work of growing plants etc for baskets is a lot less than the work required to keep them watered over the summer.

[mcdood]

She is very keen on the trailing fuschia (I think) and we have some from this year that are from a garden center. Can I take cuttings and over winter them?)

Probably a bit late now for fuschia cuttings but no harm in trying. You could overwinter the plants in the polytunnel and then take cuttings when they start in spring if your autumn cuttings dont make it.

[Small pumpkin]

You can get sweet peas for hanging baskets. Unfortunately my saved seeds didn’t germinate the following year so I don’t have any anymore and keep forgetting to hunt down more seed until it’s to late.

[Guest]

There are dwarf sweet peas. I grew pink cupid but I no longer have seed either. Is there any reason why your baskets have to be flowers?