The Best Outdoor Hanging Plants for Spring

Do you want a quick and easy way to dress up a dull porch, deck or patio? Try hanging plants outdoors. Big, lush ferns are good choices for a large area, while small baskets of flowering begonias or variegated pothos make nice accents for nooks and niches.

To find the best outdoor hanging plants for your space, think about your growing conditions. For a shady porch, consider staghorn ferns, impatiens or trailing fuchsias. If your deck gets full sun, kalanchoes, geraniums and various types of ornamental grasses should thrive for you. Add bright, bold color to your pool, patio or backyard with bougainvilleas, mandevillas and other tropical hanging plants. Not sure how to start? Learn how to plant hanging baskets and make your own hanging planters.

The key to keeping jade plants healthy is allowing plenty of drying time between waterings. Check the soil every three days — if it's moderately dry, the plant is doing okay, and if the soil is very dry, it needs water. When a jade plant isn't receiving adequate water, its leaves will shed and may develop brown spots.

Tassel ferns are perfect for filling large spaces on porches or patios, and they work great in multiples. Since tassel ferns need shade, hang them in areas that never receive direct sunlight, and water them two to three times per week.

'Marble Queen' pothos is the most common houseplant, both for its ability to help clean indoor air and for its low-maintenance needs. These plants need very little water and you can let them dry out during the fall and winter months. If the soil feels completely dry, use a spray bottle to water the soil and leaves.

Kalanchoe is a perennial that requires minimal fertilization and care to survive. Since this succulent has the tendency to grow quite large, it's best to keep it hanging a good distance from others. Should your kalanchoe begin to outgrow its hanging pot, consider planting it in the ground using cactus mix.

'Spiky Blue' is a low-maintenance species that thrives both in containers and planted in the ground. This bright green grass brings bold color to an outdoor space while also introducing beautiful, soft texture to homes with rigid lines or super modern architecture.

Medinilla magnifica is a great choice for spring with its green and pink coloring and striking similarity to tulips. This plant prefers a lot of light and is best hung along the outer areas of a porch or patio. Medinilla thrives best between 63 and 77 degrees F and prefers dry soil.

Known to thrive in shade or partially sunny spaces, Eastern Hay-Scented Fern is used by gardeners to fill voids in planting beds or yards, due mostly to its ability to grow quickly. Characterized by yellow-green coloring, this fern has a similar scent to fresh-cut hay. Because of its rapid growth, this plant is a perfect fit for porches and patios in need of privacy from neighboring homes.

Staghorn ferns are a favorite of decorators and designers because of their graphic shape and ability to flourish on vertical surfaces. Often mounted to a placard and hung vertically, these plants do well in shaded or indoor spaces and can even handle humid environments. Staghorn ferns should be watered two to three times per week and fertilized once a month.