Hanging Baskets & Nursery

Victoria's trademark hanging baskets are a sign that summer has arrived.

Introduced in 1937, Victoria's hanging flower baskets are now a trademark recognized around the world. The baskets are placed on downtown lampposts every June, signaling the start of summer. The City of Victoria's hanging flower baskets remain on lampposts until late September. After removal, the hardware is dismantled for re-use, and the plant material is composted. 

DIY Hanging Basket

Read the hanging basket brochure [PDF - 423 KB] to learn how to make your own flower hanging basket!

Nine different varieties of plants are used to make a Victoria sun basket, with a total of 25 plants included in each. This year's sun basket includes Lobelia Sapphire, Petunia Carpet Rose, Gaura Belleza White, Geranium Calliope Scarlet Fire, Petunia Madness White, Tagetes Golden Gem, Lobelia Fountain Blue, Tagetes Lemon Gem and Dichondra Falls.

Growing and Assembly

Plants for the baskets are grown in the City of Victoria's nursery, located in the southeast corner of Beacon Hill Park. In late April, a crew of six gardeners begins construction of approximately 1,350 hanging baskets. This process takes place over a four-week period.

After the baskets are made, they are conditioned first for one week in the greenhouse and then moved outside to acclimatise. In early June, the baskets are placed on the City's signature lampposts.

Watering

The City waters the hanging baskets every night throughout the summer, between 10:45 p.m. to 7:15 a.m. Trucks transport water in 2,250 litre tanks, and hand-held wands are used to water the flowers. Parks staff give each basket 6.5 litres of water containing a trace amount of fertilizer. Baskets in exposed areas are watered 6 - 7 times per week, whereas baskets in sheltered locations are watered 4 - 5 times per week, depending on the weather.

Shade Baskets

Shade baskets were introduced in the 1990s as the City's boulevard trees grew larger and cast more shade. A mixture of six different varieties of plants are used to make a Victoria shade basket, with a total of 28 plants included in each. This year's shade basket includes Impatiens Walleriana such as Super Elfin, Dazzler and Extreme Series and trailing plants such as Rhodochiton Atrosanguineum, Lysimachia Nummularia Goldilocks and Dichondra Emerald Falls.

History Snapshot

Introduced to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the City of Victoria's incorporation in 1937, Victoria's hanging flower baskets are now a trademark recognized around the world.
 
In 1936, City Parks Administrator Herb Warren was tasked with researching the prospect of placing hanging baskets on the streets of Victoria in celebration of the City's 75th anniversary of incorporation.  Basing his research on the moss-lined wire baskets in England, several hundred sun baskets were placed on city streets in the summer of 1937.
 
When Victoria's baskets were first introduced, the practice of hanging flower baskets in public areas was limited to a few European cities. Many of the plants used in those baskets would not have performed well in Victoria's climate. The original Victoria sun basket included miniature roses, fuchsias, begonias, petunias and geraniums.