Wire basket
Traditional baskets made of plastic-coated wire have large holes making planting through the sides straighforward. The disadvantage is that they can dry out very quickly but this can be overcome by lining them with polythene.
Self-watering basket
These are plastic bowls with a water reservoir built into the bottom. A piece of matting draws water up to compost as it dries out. The plants should thrive through the hottest weather when watered only every other day. The drawbacks are that they are much heavier than conventional baskets when water reservoir is full and that you cannot plant up the sides.
Plastic baskets
You can buy plastic replicas of wire baskets but these often tend to have narrow gaps in the sides, which make difficult to plant in the same way. Most, however, are like self-watering baskets but with drainage holes and a drip tray instead of a water reservoir. In wet weather the drip tray can fill up and cause the compost to become waterlogged. You cannot plant up the sides so will need trailling plants to cover up the sides.
Half-baskets and mangers
These are designed to be screwed directly to the wall and are available in wrongly iron or plastic. They need more frequent watering.
