12 Best Hanging Basket Plants for Late Summer UK
Most hanging baskets hit their stride in June, then start to look tired by mid-August. The petunias have gone leggy, the lobelia is patchy, and the whole thing needs a second wind. The good news is that a carefully chosen basket can look just as good in late August and September as it did in early summer - you just need plants built for the job. These are the twelve plants I trust to carry colour through the back end of the UK summer.
- Trailing fuchsias are the workhorses of late-summer baskets - they flower right up to the first frost
- Calibrachoa (million bells) shrugs off heat and keeps blooming for months
- Trailing begonia tubers are the best choice for shade and partial shade
- Quick re-plants like trailing nasturtium give you fresh colour within two weeks
- Swap in lobelia seeds or a plug plant collection to refresh tired displays fast
1. Trailing Fuchsia
No plant does the late-summer basket job like a trailing fuchsia. It flowers continuously from June to October, it's happy in part shade, and it bounces back quickly from a mid-season trim. Fuchsia 'Mrs Popple' plug plants give you the classic purple and scarlet combo spilling over a basket edge. Pinch out spent flowers with a pair of Felco 2 secateurs and it keeps producing buds well into autumn.
2. Calibrachoa (Million Bells)
Calibrachoa looks like a mini petunia but behaves far better in the heat. It's drought-tolerant, self-cleaning (spent flowers drop off without deadheading), and it blooms from June right through October. Calibrachoa trailing bedding plants in 9cm pots are garden-ready - plant three in a 30cm basket and they'll fill it within a month.
3. Trailing Begonia
If your basket sits in shade or gets only morning sun, trailing begonias are the answer. The pendula types produce masses of white, pink, red and orange flowers, and they handle damp, cool conditions that would finish off a petunia. Trailing pendula begonia tubers planted in May are in full flow by August and keep going until the first hard frost.
4. Trailing Lobelia
Lobelia is the classic basket filler. The trailing varieties spill over the edges in dense cascades of blue, purple, white or pink, and they flower right through to October if you keep them fed. Thompson & Morgan 'Monsoon' trailing lobelia seeds produce vigorous, deep-blue plants that recover quickly from a mid-summer trim. If you'd rather start from plants, a mixed hanging basket plug plant collection includes lobelia alongside fuchsias and petunias.
5. Trailing Nasturtium
Nasturtiums are the fastest fix in the gardening calendar. Plant them in mid-August and you'll have flowers within two weeks, guaranteed. Mr Fothergill's trailing nasturtium seeds give vivid orange, yellow and red blooms plus edible leaves that add a peppery kick to salads. They're drought-tolerant, they don't need feeding (rich soil just makes leaves), and they flower until the first frosts knock them back.
6. French Marigold
French marigolds are heat-lovers, which makes them perfect for late summer when the sun is still strong. They come in orange, yellow, mahogany and bicolour shades and flower continuously if you keep deadheading. Mr Fothergill's French marigold seeds germinate quickly, and the plants help keep whitefly and other pests away from your other basket plants - a genuinely useful bonus in August.
7. Petunias (Trailing Types)
Standard petunias go leggy by August, but the trailing and surfinia types keep performing. They're included in most hanging basket plug collections. Give them a hard cut-back in mid-August, feed with a high-potash liquid feed, and they'll push out a fresh flush of flowers within three weeks.
8. Ivy-Leaved Geranium
Ivy-leaved geraniums (pelargoniums) are the toughest customers in the basket world. They tolerate heat, drought, wind and general neglect, and they flower from June to October without complaint. They're a staple of mixed hanging basket plug plant collections, and their glossy trailing foliage provides structure between the softer flowers.
9. Bacopa (Sutera)
Bacopa fills the gaps in a basket with delicate, star-shaped flowers in white, blue or pink. It trails gently, flowers for months, and - crucially - it doesn't stop in late summer the way some bedding plants do. It needs regular watering and feeding, so pair it with moisture-retentive compost and a Westland water-saving gel mixed in at planting time.
10. Verbena
Trailing verbena is a magnet for bees and butterflies, and it flowers from June right through October. The clusters of small flowers in purple, pink, red and white hold up well in wind and rain, which makes it a solid choice for exposed UK gardens. It's drought-tolerant once established, and it looks stunning combined with calibrachoa and lobelia.
11. Sweet Alyssum
Sweet alyssum is the quiet workhorse of the basket. It forms a low, frothy mound of tiny white or purple flowers with a subtle honey scent, and it's one of the few bedding plants that thrives in the cooler, wetter conditions of late summer. Plant it around the edges and let it spill over the rim.
12. Bidens
Bidens (ferulifolia) is the yellow daisy that never stops. It flowers from June to the first frost, it's heat and drought tolerant, and its fine, feathery foliage creates a lovely soft texture. Plant it as a trailing element in a hot-colour scheme with marigolds and nasturtiums, and it will keep the basket glowing through September.
How to Refresh a Tired Basket in Late Summer
You don't have to start from scratch. If your basket still has healthy structure, cut back the leggy growth by a third, remove the tired edge plants, and slot in fresh plugs of calibrachoa, lobelia or nasturtium. Top up with a moisture-control compost for pots and baskets, and mix in water-retaining gel if the basket sits in a sunny spot.
Feed with Levington Tomorite once a week from August onwards - the high potash content pushes out flowers rather than leaves. For baskets beyond saving, empty the lot, scrub the basket, and replant with a fresh plug plant collection for instant colour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Verdict
For a basket that still looks alive in September, build it around trailing fuchsia, calibrachoa and trailing begonia, then fill the edges with lobelia and nasturtium for quick colour. Give everything a weekly high-potash feed, water daily in warm weather, and deadhead with a decent pair of secateurs. That combination will carry your baskets from August all the way to the first frost.
Emma turned her 6th-floor balcony into a thriving edible garden during lockdown. Now helps other urban dwellers maximise every inch of growing space. Specialises in containers, balconies, vertical gardening, and small-space veg.
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Last reviewed: August 10, 2026 Β· Evidence-based content Β· Contains affiliate links