18 Ways to Hang Your Plants Small Space Gardening Ideas

If you’re running out of space on your window sills or patio, you may want to consider some of these clever ways to hang your plants.

Growing plants, both indoors and outside, is a wonderful way to decorate your home and spend your time. Unfortunately, over time, it is all too easy for those gorgeous plants to overwhelm the limited amount of space you have available.

Not only can this kind of crowding make your home or outdoor living space appear cramped, but in some cases, it can rob your plants of the sunlight, water, and airflow they need to stay healthy.

The easy solution? Going airborne! Here are some clever ways to hang your plants so you can free up more valuable real estate.

18 Clever Ways to Hang Your Plants

1. Invest or DIY a Hanging Basket Stand

If you’re willing to spend a little bit of money, this hanging basket idea is a great way to show off your plants outdoors or indoors.

2. S Hooks

Using a few S hooks will allow you to hang plants on everything from existing light fixtures to wall art. You can hang all of your favorite plants without having to punch holes in the wall.

3. Make a Hanging Plant Shelf

Another trick you can use to hang your plants is to make a hanging plant shelf. There’s some work required for this one, as you’ll need to build the shelf - but once you do, you can hang plants to your heart’s content! When you aren’t working on growing any plants, the bones of this system is that it can be used for storage or decoration for other items, like books and knick-knacks.

4. Twig and Branch Plant Hanger

If you really want to stick with that au naturel appeal, consider heading outside to scavenge up your next plant hanger. All you need is a decorative branch and a small amount of string to make an eclectic plant display that’s unique and fun to decorate with.

5. Macrame Plant Hangers

If you prefer a more boho style in your home, you may want to turn to macrame plant hangers. You can hang them from the same S-hooks we mentioned above or dangle them from any other location in your home that you’d like to draw the eye to.

6. Coat Rack

Combine function with fashion by hanging your favorite plants from a coat rack. This is a fun way of displaying plants in your entryway, especially if it's midsummer and you don’t have any coats to hang.

7. Mix and Match Vintage Baskets

Here’s another fun decorative idea - mix and match some vintage baskets to give your home a modern, yet classic, look. You can plant your favorite houseplants in the baskets and simply attach them to the wall. Just make sure you have a good drainage system in place so water doesn’t go all over the place when you give your plants a drink.

8. Try Lag Bolts

This is another great idea for indoor gardeners seeking a more industrial vibe. Simply hook lag bolts to the wall or to a beam or post and you can hang all of your favorite plants (bonus points if you use macrame planters, which look absolutely stunning when they’re used in this way).

9. Use an Umbrella Rack

You can use an umbrella rack or even a vertical, freestanding coat rack to display your plants, too. This is a great idea for people who want their plants on full display - but live in apartments and therefore can’t punch holes in the wall to hang plants in any other way.

10. Try a Pergola Trellis

Pergolas are made for growing vining flowers and other plants - make the most of them and create some shade and structure by taking advantage of this design.

11. Use a Rail

Use a rail or fence to make the most of the space you have available. You can grow flowers, herbs, or even some small vegetables by hanging small pots on a rail.

12. Make a DIY Bottle Planter

Not the most attractive design - but sometimes, a gardener’s got to do what a gardener’s got to do! This design works well for small plants, like herbs and succulents. Simply cut a soda bottle in half, fill it with soil, plant, and hang. Easy as that!

13. Try Wall Plants

Consider making the most of the side of your house - an often underutilized space - by growing some wall plants. As long as the wall gets lots of sun, you can attach small pots or even a pallet with planters attached to the side of your house. You will be able to grow herbs and flowers to your heart’s content!

14. Invest in a Hanging Terrarium

You’ll need to buy a hanging terrarium for this idea, but it’s probably one of the most visually appealing ideas of them all. You can use a hanging terrarium both indoors or outside.

15. Weave A Hanger WIth Some Rope

This hanging plant idea will likely bring you back to your Boy Scout days! Get creative with your knot-tying and weave a hanging basket to suspend your favorite plants outside.

16. Bottle Hangers

You can use this idea both for indoor-grown and outdoor-grown plants. Simply wrap a bit of twine or string around a bottle and suspend it from a post or, if outdoors, from a tree limb. You can showcase all of your favorite garden flowers in this way.

17. Use Five Gallon Buckets

Five-gallon buckets may not be the most attractive, but if you’re looking for creative ways to hang your edible plants outside, these buckets will come in handy. You’ll be able to grow a large volume of produce in a small amount of space. Simply flip a bucket upside down, drill some holes for drainage, and attach some twine or rope to hang the baskets from a post. Flip upright and plant - your plants will grow out of the bottom of the bucket instead of the top in this unique design.

18. Tension Rod

Using a tension rod is a smart way to save space if you live in a crowded, cluttered apartment or a similar temporary living situation. Simply suspend the tension rod in a vertical or horizontal fashion, depending on where you have the most space, and you can dangle all of your favorite plants from the rod. This can also help use up often underutilized wall space!

Hang Loose With These Trendy Ideas

Caring for hanging plants is similar to caring for those that are fixed in a location on a countertop or windowsill. Just keep in mind that you may not want to hang them over a sensitive surface, as the water will likely leak through the bottom of your hanging basket or another container when you water. You won’t be able to put a saucer beneath your basket, so you’ll want to make sure you’re watering wisely.

Sometimes, hanging plants lose nutrients more quickly than those planted in another setting, primarily because water will drain more readily and take the nutrients out of the container with it. Make sure you have your plants on a good fertilizing schedule and you shouldn’t have any problems.

If you're looking for more ideas on how to hang your plants, why not try this stylish DIY hanging shelf or these DIY hanging planter ideas? 

Consider some of these clever ways to hang your plants and you’re sure to impress anyone who visits your home!