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Broadening the Plant Range
 Although hanging baskets are generally planted as mixtures of fairly familiar flowers and foliage, there is scope for trying out less commonly used plants. The ubiquitous spider plant (Chloroprhytum elatum 'Variegatum') has arching cream and green leaves and dangles young - plantlets engagingly. Baby's tears (Soleirolia soleimlii), a creeping plant for sun or shade which has tiny bright green leaves (there are also golden and variegated forms), will spread around the base of a basket. An easy trailer is Plectranthus fruticosus and P. oertendahlii is a sprawling plant with green veins on bronze-green and almost circular leaves.
The light arching fronds of ferns are a lovely addition to baskets hung in shadier positions. In summer the range can be extended to include ferns that are not fully hardy, such as the maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris) and Pteris argyraea.
Hardy herbaceous perennials are not much used in hanging baskets and yet some, especially those with good foliage, are just as valuable in containers as they are in the open garden. A variety of the common bugle (Ajuga reptsns), 'Burgundy Glow' has foliage with cream variegation and a flushing of deep red. It sprawls and makes a useful short trailer. More startling is the vivid variegation in red, cream and green of Houttuynia cordoto 'Chameleon'. One of the best greens is that found in lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis), with soft fan-shaped leaves and sprays of tiny lime-green, star-shaped flowers. The leaves of Fragaria 'Pink Panda' are a brighter green and there is a long succession of small pink flowers. Heuchera 'Palace Purple' has glossy dark purple leaves which are a handsome foil for pinks and reds, even yellows. Better suited to accompany yellows, however, are the gold-mottled leaves of Tolmiea menziesii Taff's Gold'.
Among useful plants there are a few herbs that go well with ornamentals. The best of these are chives, parsley and variegated mints, with the dense rich green leaves of parsley going particularly well with yellow flowers such as nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus).
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