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Best hanging plants for full sun


Best Hanging Baskets for Full Sun

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5 min read | Apr 4, 2017 | Plants 

Looking to add a colorful touch to your sunny porch or garden this spring or summer? A perfectly placed hanging basket filled with bountiful blooms could do the trick!

Full Sun Hanging Plants for Your Home

Not all hanging plants will be suitable for your porch. The right plant depends, in part, on the amount and intensity of sunlight received each day. (So if you’re in a shady spot, check out our blog on the best hanging baskets for shade!)

By selecting the right hanging plant and the right location, you can be sure of lasting color that spills out all season long. In this blog, we’re reviewing a few of our favorite full sun hanging plants that we recommend adding to your porch or yard! These hanging plants love full sun conditions and require at least 5 or more hours of direct sunlight each day.

1. Petunias

Petunias are a timeless garden favorite because they offer so many color choices and varieties. The Trailing and Grandiflora petunias are great options for hanging baskets, but you can also find varieties that work well in containers or as ground cover.

Petunias make this list because while they will grow in part sun they tend to bloom most prolifically in full sun. In full sun, it is important not to let the soil dry out when caring for these hanging plants outdoors. These plants like to be watered every day and sometimes twice a day in hotter months. Add fertilizer every two to three weeks for the best results.

Fairview Garden Center is regularly adding new varieties, so visit us this spring to find your perfect petunia!

2.

Million Bells

Million Bells are a gorgeous mounding and trailing summer annual. This popular plant blooms mini-petunia shaped flowers that come in a wide spectrum of colors. These bright flowers will attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your front porch or garden.

Like the petunia, million bells enjoy full sun to part sun; however, they tend to bloom more prolifically in full sun, making them one of the best plants for hanging baskets in full sun. The soil should be kept moist, especially in the hot summer months. Simply allow the surface soil to dry between waterings to avoid over-watering.

We’re happy to help you find the right million bells for your porch during your visit to our garden center.

3. Bougainvillea

The bougainvillea is a popular evergreen, shrubby vine that blossoms into colorful flower bracts. This sub-tropical vine is a riot of purple and red color when in bloom. New cultivars are beginning to bloom in apricot, orange, white, and yellow.

This full sun hanging plant can be trained to stand alone as a shrub or cover walls and spill out of beautiful hanging baskets. It can grow from 10 to 20 feet in a single growing season, but here in the Triangle, it won’t reach quite these lengths.

Bougainvillea requires full sun. As a drought-tolerant plant, it actually performs best when its soil is left a little dry. Come browse this hardy plant and other plants at our garden center today!

4. Portulaca

Portulaca comes in many vibrant colors like reds and pinks for full sun areas. As you shop for portulaca, you may find that it is also called yubi, purslane, or moss rose.

This plant is ideal for those who may not have as much time this spring and summer to water and fertilize on a regular basis. Portulaca is the perfect full sun hanging plant because it is extremely heat and drought tolerant. You won’t have to worry about this one!

To see our wide selection of portulaca, visit our Raleigh garden center. And if you’re looking for more inspiration and gardening tips, check out our blog.

5. Dragon Wing Begonia

The begonia is known for being a true workhorse. At Fairview Garden Center we carry many types of begonias, but one of our favorite full sun varieties is the dragon wing begonia.

This highly popular plant is incredibly easy to grow. As a heat-tolerant plant, the dragon wing begonia is one of the best hanging baskets for full sun. The dragon wing begonia’s dark-colored flowers flower profusely all season long, blooming very quickly and growing from spring through frost.

6. Sunpatiens

Impatiens are no longer just for your grandma’s shady garden! There is a wide variety of gorgeous hybrid impatiens that are perfect for the sun, shade, and everywhere in between.

Sunpatiens are a new type of impatiens that is unlike other traditional varieties, as it thrives in hot and sunny conditions. Although sunpatiens do not have a trailing habit, they provide high impact blooms from spring through frost and are great paired with other trailing plants in mixed baskets.  Consider sunpatiens when looking for full sun hanging plants that will add color and variety to your garden!

Visit Us At Fairview Garden Center

These are just a few of our Fairview favorite full sun hanging plants for spring and summer. Contact us today or stop by in-person to browse our greenhouses filled with beautiful blooms and pick your favorites from our many varieties. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff is here to help you pick the perfect full-sun basket for your space and lifestyle!

Page updated on July 19, 2022

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39 Best Hanging Basket Flowers for Sun

Putting together a hanging basket full of flowers can be a lot of fun.

One of the first things to consider is where you will be hanging your basket. If your hanging basket location will be getting part to full sun exposure, this list is for you. We put together this list of flowering plants that grow best in part to full sun.

6 Best Hanging Houseplants For Begi...

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6 Best Hanging Houseplants For Beginners

Hanging your basket in a shady spot? Check out our list of shade-loving plants for hanging baskets.

With hanging baskets, you have many options for plants, including spillers and fillers. The combination makes for a beautiful display. For that reason, we grouped our “spillers” together in this list (#21 to #27).

The remaining plants, the fillers, pair well with these spillers. In most cases, you can also simply grow only “filler” plants in your hanging basket and avoid any spillers (although spillers are very popular for hanging baskets).

All of the flowers listed here can be grown as an annual in central PA and other northern regions in the United States. Check your plant’s tag for specific plant care instructions.

One last note: It’s important that you keep your hanging plants well-watered if it’s going to be in full sun. You can check if the plant needs to be watered by lifting the basket from underneath (it’ll feel noticeably light if it needs to be watered) or feeling the surface level of potting soil (the top inch of soil should be moist).

Now, on to our list! Below you’ll find our favorite 30 flowers for hanging baskets.

To jump to a specific plant on this list, click a link below:

  1. Ivy geraniums
  2. Lobelia
  3. Lantana
  4. Begonias
  5. Scaevola
  6. Black Eyed Susan Vine
  7. Petunias
  8. Calibrachoa
  9. Alyssum
  10. Pansies
  11. Portulaca
  12. Geraniums
  13. Sunpatiens
  14. Hens & Chicks
  15. Marigolds
  16. Verbena
  17. Vinca
  18. Dianthus
  19. Osteospermums
  20. Sun Coleus
  21. Nierembergia (Cup Flower)
  22. Diamond Series
  23. Bacopa
  24. Creeping Jenny
  25. Sweet Potato Vine
  26. Ivy
  27. Dichondra
  28. Vegetables
  29. Mandevillas
  30. Herbs

1.

Ivy Geranium

2. Lobelia

3. Lantana

4. Begonias

5.

Fan Flower (Scaevola)

6. Black Eyed Susan Vine

7. Petunias

Some popular petunias for hanging baskets include Supertunias or wave petunias. Curious about the difference between these two types of petunias? Here’s a quick guide.

8. Calibrachoa (Million Bells)

9.

Sweet Alyssum

10. Pansies

11. Portulaca

12. Geraniums

13.

Sunpatiens

14. Hens & Chicks

15. Marigolds

16. Verbena

17.

Vinca

18. Dianthus

19. Osteospermum (African Daisies)

20. Sun Coleus

21. Nierembergia (Cup Flower)

22.

Diamond Series (Proven Winners)

23. Bacopa (Water Hyssop)

24. Creeping Jenny

25. Sweet potato vine

26.

Ivy

27. Dichondra

28. Certain Vegetables (tomatoes, strawberries, etc.)

29. Mandevillas

30. Herbs

31.

Ornamental Grasses

32. Snapdragons

33. Salvia

34. Dusty Miller

35. Celosia

36. Zinnias

37. Gerbera Daisies

38. Mexican Heather

39. Spikes

10 best fast-growing climbing flowers for fences, arches and trellises in the country (30 photos)

Climbing plants in the garden are very popular. Outwardly, they are attractive, like other flowers, but they grow much faster and do not need a lot of free space, which is important for a small garden plot.

Climbing plants in the garden are very versatile. They can not only become key elements of the garden, but also cover the unattractive walls of buildings with a living vertical carpet, as well as create a magnificent hedge, ennoble the entrance to the site. At the same time, climbing plants can make a secluded place out of a personal plot if they cover entire arbors, pergolas or arches.

Rose Zephirine Drouhin

This rose is one of the best plants for decorating building walls or fences. Rose Zephyrine Drouin has no thorns at all. Its long (up to 4.5 m) shoots are quite flexible, which makes it easy to direct them in the right direction: wrap around a gazebo or arch. The plant does not need a lot of sun to bloom, it may well grow in shady places.

Bougainvillea

If you are looking for a bright colorful garden plant, plant bougainvillea. Liana-like shoots of this plant will look good on fences and trellises, flexible branches can be twisted around a support placed in the center of the pot, forming picturesque bushes on trunks. Bougainvillea makes beautiful hedges. It is considered the best climbing plant that is not afraid of the shade. And this plant is also loved for its resistance to diseases and pests. No matter how you plant bougainvillea - in a pot or in the soil - it will certainly become a real decoration of the site.

In the middle lane, this heat-loving southern beauty is still better to grow in a large flowerpot, and send it indoors for the winter.

Sweet peas

Sweet peas (depending on the variety) are able to delight with flowering all summer and autumn. However, it should be remembered that this heat-loving plant requires special attention. For example, sweet peas should only be planted on the sunny side of the site in well-drained soil. In order for the plant to develop well and quickly, it needs to be fed every 2-4 weeks, using, for example, Agricola or Fertik for flowering plants.

Ipomoea

This is a light-loving plant - its saucer-shaped flowers open early in the morning. They can be blue, red, purple or yellow. Creeper shoots often grow up to 1.5 m, and heart-shaped leaves can reach 12 cm in length. Ipomoea is easy to grow, it takes root well on any soil and can go without watering for a long time.

Rooting Kampsis

Rooting Kampsis flowers are elongated and may vary in shades of color (from yellow to orange and red). This plant looks good on arches, pergolas, fences and trellises. Kampsis rooting is one of the best climbing plants that can grow up to 12 m in height. Liana feels fine in the shade, but for lush flowering it is still worth planting it in sunny areas.

Clematis

If you want to decorate a pergola or arbor with clematis, you should pay attention to higher varieties of this plant. Liana flowering time is early spring. However, for clematis to cover a building or a fence, it will take several years. So you'll have to be patient. But clematis is not very whimsical in care and is distinguished by unusual and bright flowers.

Kobe climbing

Climbing kobeya is a perennial climber, which is cultivated as an annual in our climatic conditions. The plant owes its name to tenacious shoots and a large number of antennae, with the help of which the vine very quickly "climbs" up. During the growing season, kobeya grows up to 6 m.

The decoration of the plant is large (up to 8 cm in diameter) bell-shaped flowers. They appear in July and, replacing each other, continue to bloom regularly until the frost. The flowers are most often blue or purple, but there are varieties with white flowers.

Climbing kobe is grown through seedlings, which are planted in open ground in the second half of May, when the threat of returning frosts has passed. The plant is quite resistant to diseases and pests. Responds well to top dressing, during the period of drought requires watering.

Schisandra chinensis

Schisandra chinensis is a perennial vine. The plant is ideal for growing in the middle lane, because. easily tolerates frosts down to -30 ° С. However, it is desirable to plant lemongrass in a sunny area, where there are no strong winds.

Liana grows annually by 1 m, the maximum height of the plant is 12 m. In May, small white or white flowers with a pink tint appear on the shoots. But it is not they, but the fruits that give the plant a special decorative effect. Bright red berries, collected in a brush, ripen towards the end of August and hang until frost, which makes lemongrass very elegant.

Schisandra chinensis first fruits appear only 4-6 years after planting.

Schisandra chinensis has medicinal properties and is used in folk medicine. Berries, leaves, bark and seeds of the plant are considered healing.

Dichondra Emerald Falls (Emerald Falls, Emerald Falls)

This creeper is distinguished from others by magnificent dense bright green foliage, which constantly grows. Dichondra Emerald Waterfall is fairly easy to grow as it only needs a sunny spot and well-drained soil to thrive. The shoots of this creeper reach 1-1.5 m in length. Therefore, it is most suitable for growing in the form of an ampelous plant in hanging baskets and planters.

Nasturtium

Vibrant nasturtium flowers, which can be yellow, orange, burgundy or red, stand out against the bright green foliage. This combination of shades looks great against the background of fences, walls of buildings, on trellises. Nasturtium can also be grown as a groundcover. If planted in a well-lit area, it will delight with flowering from June to September.

And what creepers decorate your garden? Share photos in the comments.

Sun-loving garden plants: perennial and annual flowers, shrubs and trees

The sun is essential for plant life. But the rule “the more the better” does not always work. A site that is completely open to the sun's rays has a number of disadvantages. Mastering it is not so easy. Not all plants are suitable for this location. Let's figure out what moments it is important not to miss when planting flowers and shrubs in the sun, and what types to choose for an open space.

Ann-Marie Powell Gardens Ltd

Advantages and disadvantages of a sunny site
The main advantages of a place exposed to the sun is good warming, due to which rather heat-loving plants can grow here. A large amount of sunlight creates good conditions for plant nutrition and is suitable for many flowering species. The sun's rays dry the soil and leaves well, acting as a natural disinfectant. Due to this, there is a much lower chance of developing putrefactive processes and fungal diseases than in damp shady areas. This creates favorable conditions for the good development of many species, but also turns into a number of problems that will require attention.

Laara Copley-Smith Garden & Landscape Design

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Things to consider when planting plants in the sun
1. Intense heating leads to overdrying of the soil and burns. Not all plants can endure a dry and hot microclimate. They tolerate such conditions well even without additional measures:

The Outdoor Room, LLC

Rollin Landscape Design

Most of the steppe and desert plants have exactly these qualities, sometimes several of them at once.

Blooming Toronto

To expand the range of species and make an open sunny place more comfortable, it is worth artificially adjusting the humidity balance. A well-thought-out automatic watering system will help ensure the regularity of watering. When choosing its type, keep in mind that sprinkling in an open sunny place can only be done in the early morning (before sunrise) and late evening hours. Otherwise, drops of water that will settle on the plants will cause burns.

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A pond or fountain will help increase the overall humidity in an open area. When placing the pond in the sun, count on the fact that you will have to control its overgrowth - aquatic plants will develop especially intensively. Creating artificial water movement will help solve this problem. For a fountain, a sunny spot is the best position. Light and water jets will decorate the space with moving highlights, and the smallest drops will increase humidity. But when placing plants, be aware of the drift of water by the wind - arrange flower beds so that water does not moisten the leaves.

Petriv Landscape Designe

2. In sunny areas, snow melts earlier in spring. This may seem like an advantage, but it actually poses a danger to the plants. They are exposed ahead of time and lose their snow protection at a time when the air temperature is still low and there is a threat of frost. In such places, many plants will need additional protection. However, there is a risk here too: shelters in a sunny place get very warm and the plants can dry out. In such cases, it is especially important to regulate the temperature under the shelters by ventilation, that is, spring worries are added.

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

3. The significant contrast between day and night temperatures also poses a threat. In a sunny place, it is especially sharp. And it's not just about early spring. In our far from southern regions, the period of cold nights lasts as early as early June and returns as early as August. Many thermophilic plants suffer from such a temperature contrast. In addition to choosing zoned varieties, placing flower beds near walls that accumulate heat and then give it away will help. Large stones will also help with this: rockery is a good choice for a sunny flower garden.

ETs Ekopochva-LD

4. Due to temperature contrasts, spring protection against burns should be taken especially seriously. Conifers in open areas suffer greatly from the active sun, combined with still low temperatures.

Avant Garden

5. Many thermophilic species are afraid of drafts. Cold winds are detrimental to them. Therefore, a sunny flower garden should be protected from the wind. This will help placing it under the cover of walls or arrays of shrubs. Protecting the entire area with hedges also helps.

Kingfisher Landscape

Tip: To expand your planting options for a sunny flower garden, consider protecting species that like good light but suffer from overheating during the midday hours. Plant them under cover of tall sun-loving plant species - on their northern side. They will shade the neighbors during the hottest hours.

Anderson Lawn Care

With the above risks and protective measures in place, a sunny location allows for a bright and lush flower garden with a long flowering period. Many sun-loving plants for the garden - perennial and annual flowers, shrubs and others - look very unusual and even exotic. And the range of species suitable for active sun is quite wide. To create a memorable and harmonious composition in a sunny place, you can use one of several scenarios that are different in their imagery.

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Maki-Luki Landscape Bureau

1. Rosary
An open sunny place is necessary for growing roses. In order for plants to be healthy and bloom intensively (after all, this is why we love roses), they need enough light and good nutrition. No matter what forms and varieties we are talking about, a sunny location will be optimal. However, when creating a rose garden in our latitudes, you will have to remember all the safety measures that I have listed: winter shelter, sufficient humidity and protection from the wind. If you supplement them with the basic requirements of agricultural technology - nutritious soil, respect for planting distances and proper pruning, then the rose garden in a sunny area will be able to show all its beauty.

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

Flowers include mallows (Alcea), daylilies (Hemerocallis), onions (Allium), verbenas (Verbena), clematis (Clematis), climbing honeysuckles (Lonicera). Sage (Salvia), hyssop (Hyssopus), veronica (Veronica), catnip (Nepeta), oregano (Origanum), Perovskia (Perowskia), lobelia - brilliant (Lobelia fulgens), sessile (Lobelia sesilifolia) and blue (Lobelia siphilitica) will complete the picture. ). They, in combination with silvery, as if dusted plants, will create a special atmosphere in the gardens of Provence.

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12 attributes of a Provence style garden

Perfectly fits into the Mediterranean imagery and balances the moisture of a fountain or wall cascade. For decoration and decoration in such a landscape, use terracotta, mosaics and natural stone.

Debra Lee Baldwin

3. Exotic Garden
In a hot, sunny place, you can create a real collection of exotic plants - in an annual culture or in a pot. Canna, kniphofia, bougainvillea, fuchsia, hibiscus will add southern luxury to the landscape and become spectacular accents. Many natives of the south with a rhizome that does not winter in the ground have not been exotic for us for a long time, but they will completely complement their company: do not forget about such sun-loving flowers for the garden as gladioli (Gladiolus), dahlias (Dahlia), amaranths (Amaranthus). Supplement them with flowering annuals: already familiar begonias (Begonia) and balsams (Impatiens), petunias (Petunia), pelargoniums (Pelargonium) and others.

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4. Village or meadow flower garden
Such a flower garden is a splash of bright colors and multicolor. A sunny position will only enhance the riot of flowering. It’s good if it blooms throughout the warm season - choose plants for the flower bed that replace each other. The range of suitable species is very wide and allows you to change both the color scheme and the image of the flower garden.

Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Sun-loving perennial flowers: mallows (Alcea), lupins (Lupunus), delphinium (Delphinium), foxglove (Digitalis), ornamental onions (Allium), yarrow (Achillea), barkwort (Knautia), cornflower (Centaurea), flax (Linum ), bluebell (Campanula), kosmos (Cosmos), echinacea (Echinacea), rudbeckia (Rudbeckia), gaillardia (Gaillardia), marigolds (Tagetes), nivyanik (Laucenthemum).

The names of some speak for themselves: sunflower (Helianthus), helenium (Helenium), heliopsis (Heliopsis), helianthemum (Helianthemum), helichrysum (Helichrysum) - they all have the sun in their name and prefer to grow in its rays.

Karena Batstone Design

5. Grass garden
Grasses are true lovers of the sun. Only a few of them are ready to put up with penumbra. Most tolerate dryness well and are undemanding to watering. Therefore, an open sunny area is a great opportunity to create a composition of cereals. In terms of expressiveness, it is not inferior to a bright flower garden. The variety of species allows you to select a variety of color combinations. Moreover, the cereal garden retains its decorative effect all year round, decorating the site even in winter. And how beautiful are the cereals, illuminated by the morning or evening sun! Even if you are not ready to use only cereals, they will be a great addition to other sunny compositions.

Dig Your Garden Landscape Design

6. Arid desert composition
In an open arid place, you can create an unusual garden, as if transferred from the desert or from a rocky mountain slope. Use succulents for this. In their fleshy leaves, they are able to accumulate moisture, and therefore are completely undemanding to watering and soil. Despite the fact that many of them feel great in our latitudes and have long earned popularity, they still look exotic.

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Succulents - types, names and rules of care ) have many forms. They differ in size - from miniature plants spread on the ground to large bushy specimens that can act as tapeworms. The different shape of the leaves and the shade of flowering allows you to create a wide variety of compositions from them. Thanks to their undemanding nature and shallow root system, they are suitable for rockeries, roof gardens and planters.

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GREEN LANDS garden company

Plant pines (Pinus), junipers (Juniperus), arborvitae (Thuia), larches (Larix), microbiota (Microbiota). When creating a coniferous composition in an open area, combine plants with different crown shapes: narrow verticals and tall conical varieties will become accents, plant outstretched forms in their roots, complementing the composition with spherical and ovoid plants. However, when creating a coniferous garden in the sun, remember about spring protection - these plants are especially susceptible to burns with spring temperature differences and active sun.

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Conifers in the garden: Selection and use

Unique by Design

It is in the sun that they fully reveal their varietal properties, while in the shade, many of them (especially yellow and variegated forms) lose their unusual pattern. There are many decorative leaf varieties both among shrubs and among herbaceous plants. A large number of decorative forms are famous for garden shrubs such as barberry (Berberis), spirea (Spiraea), white derain (Cornus alba), viburnum vesicle (Physocarpus opulifolius). Among the herbs, the multi-colored color of the leaves is distinguished by the lamb (Lamium), perilla (Perilla), hybrid coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides), loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata), tenacious (Ajuga).

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The most beautiful plants for a garden with ornamental foliage - types and care - aquatic plants in this position will develop especially intensively. But it is the solar pond that is suitable for growing beautiful nymphs (Nymphaea). Due to the variety of shapes and colors, water lilies or water lilies are not in vain considered favorites among aquatic plants. In a sunny place, you can collect a whole collection of these beautiful flowers. Other flowering aquatic species will also thrive in full sun and provide a wonderful backdrop for the vibrant nymphaeum flowers.

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10. Aromatic Garden -Imagine 9 . Many aromatic plants are native to the southern regions and require an open location. Here their growth is especially intense, and the aroma is revealed to the maximum. Most of the spice plants are grown as an annual crop and a significant part of them are used as food.

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