The best flowers for hanging baskets in Florida include those with profuse flower clusters such as the Verbena Hybrid Empress and flowers that attract birds such as trailing lantana and Tropical Sage.
Depending where you plan to hang your flower basket or where you want to set up your container garden, you may want to avoid flowers with a strange or noxious odors. Some people do not like the smell of some lantana plants . I always like to smell the blossoms first and, I also, crush a leaf and smell a plant before purchasing.
A lot of people like the smell of geraniums, which make nice flowers for containers or hanging flower baskets.
Hanging flower baskets or hanging pots are great because they can cheer up a dull porch or put some spark and color into an empty patio. If you want to try something different, grow strawberries in hanging baskets. You can pick the berries or leave them for the birds.
Container gardening is easy in Florida where you can grow many flowers throughout the year. Just bring in your hanging pots and hanging planters during a frost.
Here are a few of the best flowers for hanging baskets or hanging pots and the best flowers for container gardeners in Florida:
No. 1: Verbena Hybrid Empress makes excellent flowers for hanging baskets and container gardens in Florida. Verbena comes in a variety of colors including rose, peach, lavender, red, pink and purple. It is a beneficial flower for bees and butterflies.
The Verbena Hybrid Empress blooms early to late summer. Try to give it full sun exposure.
No. 2: Tropical Sage or Scarlet Sage (Salvia coccinea). Also perfect for hanging flower askets in Florida, the Tropical Sage plant attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. A native plant, the Scarlet Sage comes in red as well as pink and white. The tropical sage is fine in full sun or part-shade. It does not need as much water as other hanging plants, but you do have to water it on occasion.
No. 3: Shrimp Plant (Justica brandegeana). Shrimp plants make great hanging basket plants because they have a trailing habit. They also attract hummingbirds with their maroon blooms. My Shrimp Plants continue to bloom through the winter in Florida.
When creating a hanging flower basket, make sure to purchase quality potting soil, preferably the kind enhanced with fertilizers for flowers. Water frequently (two to three times a week) for the first few weeks and then water when the soil becomes dry to touch.
If you hanging flower basket receives rain, you won’t have to water it as often.
Deadhead the different plants to encourage continual blooming. Make sure to feed with a liquid fertilizer for flowers at least once a month.
With these best flowers for hanging baskets, you will rarely be without color even if your yard is too small for a flower garden.
Related gardening articles:
Tampa mock vervain
Blue Porterweed
Banana lantana
Jatropha
Twinflower
Milkweed flowers
Old-fashioned red pentas
