Window boxes, troughs and hanging plants are an ideal way of adding color and interest to all parts of the garden in summer.
They can also be used to brighten up the dull, dark days of winter by planting them with evergreens and winter flowering perennials.
When you are choosing a basket, opt for the biggest you can find, ideally 16 inches, because this holds twice as much compost soil mix as the most popular size, 12 inches.
It will also weigh twice as much, so make sure you buy suitable brackets and have a system of watering that does not involve lifting the hanging basket down each time.
There are basically two types of hanging basket, open mesh wire baskets and solid sided plastic baskets.
The open mesh style, which includes wrought iron types, is the most common but in many ways the most difficult to master.
The wire mesh is plastic coated to prevent corrosion, and the large holes make planting the sides easy.
However, they will dry out more quickly than solid sided baskets, although this can be overcome by using a waterproof liner.
Solid sided plastic baskets cannot be planted at the sides, so the display is less appealing, but they need watering less often, especially is there is a built in water reservoir.
Open mesh baskets need to be lines before they can be planted to stop the compost soil mix falling out.
Traditionally, a 2 inches thick layer of sphagnum moss was used, but this is expensive, and many gardeners have turned to alternatives on environmental grounds.
This has led to the appearance of manufactured liners in a variety of materials, including recycled wool and cotton, coconut fiber and foam.
The type of window box you choose should fit comfortable with the style of your house.
There is a wide range of materials and styles to choose from, stone and terracotta look attractive as they age but they are fairly heavy.
Plastic, wood and galvanized tin window boxes are all lighter options.
Linings gathered from the garden are just as good as shop bought lining and also have the advantage of being free.
Moss raked from the lawn can be used to line your summer baskets, providing the lawn has not been treated with chemicals recently.
For autumn and winter baskets use conifer prunings or conifer hedge clippings lined with polythene instead.
They will stay green and look good throughout the winter.