Basket Case: Flowers For Hanging Baskets That Can Withstand The Australian Climate

Hanging baskets are popular, attractive additions to a porch or garden wherever you are in the world, but some climates are more suited to hanging baskets than others. One of the most difficult aspects of maintaining hanging baskets is keeping them moist, as water quickly drains away from the suspended soil - in the brutal, dry heat of a typical Australian summer, this can sometimes feel like a full-time job.

Traditional basket flower choices, such as petunias and geraniums, do not take to dry soil well, and can be very difficult to maintain. However, this doesn't mean you should abandon your visions of elegant hanging baskets beautifying your home - you just have to be a little more particular with what flowers you choose to grow. The following flower species are some of the most suitable for an Australian hanging basket:

Silver leaf dichondria

Dichondria may sound like a familiar name to the keen Australian gardener, and for good reason - Dichondria repens is more commonly known as kidney weed, the common weed that mainly serves as the bane of the lawn enthusiast's existence. However, some of the kidney weed's related species make for surprisingly beautiful ornamental plants, while retaining the hardiness of their less attractive cousin.

Silver leaf dichondria is a popular choice for hanging baskets, as they are particularly adept at surviving dry conditions. They are also remarkably beautiful once well established, with long stalks studded with bright, silver leaves hanging in cascades over the sides of baskets. They also require very little pruning or trimming, and a few snips at the end growth in a year will keep your baskets looking trim. However, they do require full sunlight to thrive, so you should avoid using them in baskets hung in shady areas.

Echeveria

These unusual South American plants aren't, strictly speaking, flowers. Instead, their succulent, vibrantly-coloured leaves grow in tightly grouped rosettes, giving an unusual and exotic touch to any basket arrangement. Echeveria comes in a wide variety of sub-species, specially cultivated to provide a wide range of colours, so you can usually find a suitable echeveria for your chosen colour scheme.

Echeverias are resistant to drought, as they retain large amounts of moisture within their leaves. They are also capable of growing well in shaded areas, although their colours may be less vibrant as a result. However, they do tend to last only a few years, and any dying parts of the plant need to be removed regularly, as they are prone to attracting damaging fungi if allowed to rot.

Touch-me-nots

Despite their somewhat delicate name, these graceful, complex flowers are actually rather hardy. They tend to let their large blooms hang over the edges of their baskets, so they make an excellent companion flower for taller, upright plants. Most flowers you'll find for sale are a rich purple, but rarer cultivars in different colours can be found if you're willing to search.

Touch-me-nots are not quite as resistant to drought as the other plants on this list, although they will still last several days with no water before they start to wilt badly. They are, however, largely untroubled by even large areas of shade and will grow in dense blooms when hung under porches, lintels or overhanging trees. If you're lucky, you may also find that hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers. You do, however, have to watch out for touch-me-nots growing in unwanted parts of your garden - the seed pods of these plants tend to explode to spread their seeds over a wide area, and you can quickly find touch-me-nots growing in every basket and flower bed.

For more information on flower recommendations, especially if this basket is to give away, contact a florist.