My affordable idea for hanging basket - keep your money in your purse! :o)
Way too much faffing around watering and deadheading, they're best left to town councils etc if they have to be done at all.

I have always had hanging baskets and intend to do so but thanks for your advice, Urbanite:]

Ivies, pansies, um . . . .

Pansies, Ivy and um all planted before. I want to be more adventurous too.

I have heucheras in my hanging pots .

Guess you could put them also in hanging baskets.

You do also get trailing heucheras GMam.

Heathers and hardy cycleman.

I find my winter flowering Pansies/ Violas, stop flowering in December and have at least a 6 week rest before they flower again.
But I do find baskets/tubs can still look good all winter if using a mixture of plants and bulbs, so I put Primulas, Ivy, a slow growing pale conifer with Spring bulbs such as Lilies, Narcissus, Chionodoxa, Tulips, Crocus - all came in miniature forms and flower consecutive months starting with Snowdrops. Use new compost but there is no need to feed till the spring and water sparingly in winter if at all!

Hmmm! Bulbs? I have not planted bulbs in hanging baskets before. Have I still got time to put them in then as seeds and bulbs if I get some this week? Yes, new compost is always used as I find the old compost to have lost its lustre and nutritional look.

Once 2 more of my hanging fuchsias have finished it will get replaced with dwarf bulbs.

Do this every year.

Just an idea that i once used, but requires a largish hanging basket. if you could get hold of some small pots of Skimmia rubella, and Olearia and pernettia then these work so well, put in some dwarf narcissus and then if you are able to get hold of some Cornus prunings with Cornus midwinter fire being the preferred option then arrange these within for a dramatic feature.

The likes of B&Q sell multi packs of small evergreen shrubs. They are inexpensive and when the baskets are finished you can plant the shrubs in the borders. My local B&Q had some small pots of Heuchera for just over £1 each.

Must get to BQ Heucheras now Angie do I really nead any more.

Hardy cyclamen yes I do though.

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen of the gardening world:)

Thank you for these ideas which I am definately going to implement this year. I love the Heucheras ideas, the suggestion to use Dwarf Narcissus and other plants some of which I have tried but find grow too tall for a hanging basket.

Have a good day x

Thanks everyone xxxx

I'm sure you can make the room Kath :) Hope your branch has them!