Winter flowers and Plants for Hanging Baskets and Window Boxes

Winter need not be a dull period for garden colour. Window boxes and hanging baskets can be planted up with colourful Flowers and plants to fill the gap.

Winter-Flowering Pansies to brighten up the dull days. One of the best flowers for long winter colour.

Winter Pansy flowers

Hanging baskets normally take a bit of punishment in the winter owing to windswept situations on house walls, and – surprisingly – drying out after not being watered! Windy conditions, such as we normally get in the winter, will dry the compost out almost as quickly as a hot summer day - and will give your flowers a bit of a bashing! Place the basket or window box in the most sheltered position - but with plenty of light. Try to avoid those places under a bay window overhang etc.

Providing that they are kept watered – and not waterlogged – then plants for winter colour in hanging baskets would include Winter Flowering Pansies, Polyanthus or primroses ( the polyanthus give a bit more height than primroses), ivies, and something like a winter cherry (Solanum) or Erica gracilis for the centre spot. There are many winter flowering heathers that you will be able to buy from the garden centre in small pots - easy to transplant into hanging baskets and window boxes - but DO take them out of their pots!

Underplant the plants with some crocus around the edges – or the miniature daffodil ‘Tete a Tete’ and you are sure of some colour through most of the winter with your hanging baskets – or window boxes.

Winter hanging baskets will not normally require feeding during the winter months, but check regularly for watering requirements.

Once you are in the mood for providing a good show of flowers and plants for the hanging baskets and window boxes, you might like to try your hand with a container of winter evergreens.