What do you put in a hanging basket in northern ireland and have flowers in December and jan/feb?

Question

What do you put in a hanging basket in northern ireland and have flowers in December and jan/feb?

Answer 1

Pansies  

Answer 2

Surprisingly you have a fairly mild winter.  So yes pansies and viola/vioets would be my first choice, flowering kale or ornamental kale, petunias may also do OK. Snapdragons would get too tall but stocks might work in the center of the basket if you have some trailers over the side.  Another possibility would be dianthus but they too are not noted for trailing.  I'm not sure sweet alyssum is cold tolerant enough......but that would give you some drape.  

Answer 3

Have you thought about putting miniature bulbs in a hanging basket?  There are many that will flower very early in the season and are suitable for a basket.

Snowdrops will be in flower from January and you could follow those with Iris reticulata, Crocus tommasinanus and then a miniature narcissi such as Tete a' Tete.

All of these could be planted in the same basket and would flower successionally.  

Answer 4

I live in south east Scotland

Last year i had winter pansies which have lasted all year if you dead head all the time and feed well, before i plant i put slow release feeding pellets in the soil i also had small early flowering spring bulbs at the back, i find a small local garden centre will give you great advice.