Hanging baskets filled with flowers look absolutely beautiful in summer, but they tend to dry out and die quickly unless gardeners pay close attention to them. When plants are suspended in the air they are fully exposed to the sun, which means they have no shade at all so will not be able to cool down. 

However Carmen Johnston, a gardener, explained that there is a really simple way to keep your hanging basket flowers healthy, and all you need to do is rotate it weekly. Carmen said: “Give baskets a turn to ensure even growth—no one likes a ‘good side only’ basket.”

It may seem simple, but hanging baskets can be a extreme environment for plants to grow as those closer to the wall receive hardly any light while those in the outer area can receive too much sun. 

This can cause certain plants to dry out while others can struggle to grow at all, so to balance it out make sure to keep turning the basket around. 

Rotating the basket at least once a week ensures all the plants inside get an equal side so they will grow all at the same time and are more likely to flower. 

It can also help to be careful what you are putting in a hanging basket as certain as it helps if you place shade loving-plants on one side of the basket while sun-loving plants are on the other side. 

Carmen added: “Shady plants will fry quickly if they get too much sun so be aware of your plant combinations.”

Hanging baskets tend to survive longer and be better value for mone if they are a mix of perennial and annual plants to balance them out. 

If you add lots of colourful petunias, then make sure to add a fern or ivy as the base of the hanging basket as it makes it look interesting no matter what time of year it is. 

Carmen said: “For containers I usually recommend 3 T’s—you want something Tall, Thick & Trailing. There is a caveat for hanging baskets, though. Sometimes mixing three trailing plants can give an even bigger impact.” 

If you are careful with your plant section, rotate the basket weekly and water them then your hanging basket will look beautiful without much effort.