Create a dramatic and moody gothic mourning hanging basket filled with dark coral bells, white pansies, silvery trailing oregano, and a single black feather for naturally spooky Halloween garden decor.
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As I was doing some work in the yard recently, I noticed the pollinator garden becoming a beautiful seasonal mess tangled with blooms, woody stems, and dried seed heads. It immediately gave me inspiration for Halloween - an abandoned, wild, overgrown garden with Victorian mourning aesthetics and gothic elements. I had already placed some Halloween garden stakes between the plants, but once this vision popped into my head, I removed all of them to start from scratch.
One of the biggest inspirations for this Halloween garden idea was a cement statue I've placed between agastache and alliums. Its weathered appearance hidden among overgrown and dried flowers gives it an almost haunting feel. So I decided to give the entire pollinator garden a more natural Halloween look, letting the flowers - both blooming and dried - become part of the story.
After removing all of my garden decorations, I decided to add a couple of hanging baskets to the garden. I started looking at the plants I already had growing in a different way. Instead of choosing traditional fall plants, I decided to use dark foliage, pale flowers, and trailing herbs to create an arrangement that felt forgotten yet slightly romantic, with just a touch of drama that adds to the haunting Halloween feel of the garden.
Plants to Add to Your Gothic Mourning Hanging Basket
Since the growing season is changing, what’s available in garden centers near you might be different from what’s available in garden centers near me. If you can’t find the plants I used for my basket, look for plants with dark foliage, pale blooms, trailing growth, or an old-fashioned garden feel. Here are some plants that would work beautifully in a gothic, mourning-inspired basket:
- Black coral bells (Heuchera): Dark foliage adds a moody backdrop for lighter flowers in this arrangement. Many varieties are available now with nearly black, burgundy, or dark purple leaves.
- White pansies: These flowers love cool weather. The pale, white blooms create a gorgeous contrast against dark foliage. They're also a symbol of thoughtfulness and remembrance.
- White violas: These are a smaller, more delicate looking flower than pansies that also work well tucked between darker foliage.
- Trailing oregano: Soft and silvery cascading stems give the basket movement with a slightly overgrown and forgotten feel.
- Trailing thyme: Another good spiller option for a more natural, herbal look.
- Rosemary: Available in upright and trailing options, rosemary adds an evergreen look and is associated with remembrance.
- English ivy: Best used in containers since ivy can become invasive. Its trailing habit gives hanging baskets a classic, romantic garden feel.
- Dusty miller: Another silvery plant option with soft foliage.
- Sweet alyssum: Small clusters of white flowers look delicate and feminine. They also give off a honey-sweet scent.
- Creeping Jenny: An easy-to-find trailing plant that adds a nice cascading effect to arrangements.
- Dark-leaved sweet potato vine: Dark purple-black foliage adds dramatic trailing growth in a seasonal basket.
How to Create a Gothic Mourning Hanging Basket
Once I chose my plants, it was time to put the basket together. I chose a black wire basket to add an old, gothic feel, then let the plants' natural shapes and textures do most of the work. The dark foliage of the coral bells adds a deep, dramatic backdrop for the white flowers and silvery trailing oregano. I finished the basket with a single black feather - one last touch of gothic drama that gives the basket an almost eerie feel.
The first thing I did was prepare the basket. I added some well-draining potting soil to the liner. Since the growing season is almost over, I didn't add fertilizer this time around.
Next, I started adding my plants. First, I planted the coral bells. These took up the most room, but are also in place as my "thriller."
Then, I planted the white pansies. I tucked them into the side of the planter, leaving room to add trailing oregano.
Finally, I planted the trailing oregano. This should fill in nicely and continue cascading over the side of the basket.
As a final touch, I added a single black feather that gives the basket an eerie feeling that, although it might seem like a forgotten garden, it's very much still alive.
After watering the plants thoroughly, I set the basket on a hook in my pollinator garden. It definitely fits into the dramatic, yet natural Halloween look I wanted to give the pollinator garden.
SUPPLIES
- 12 inch black wire hanging basket with coconut liner
- Potting soil
- 1 dark foliage plant, like black coral bells
- 1 pale flowering plant, like white pansies
- 1 cascading plant, like trailing oregano
- Optional: 1 black feather
STEPS
- Fill the hanging basket with potting soil. Then, arrange where you would like each plant to sit.
- First, place the dark foliage plant in back. Then, add the white flower and trailing oregano.
- Water the plants thoroughly and, if desired, add a single black feather as a spooky touch.
- Hang basket on a hook in a sunny spot.
I love how this hanging basket naturally adds gothic drama to the garden without being an obvious Halloween decoration. The dark coral bells, white pansies, trailing oregano, and single black feather create a moody arrangement that feels just right among the fading flowers and dried seed heads in the pollinator garden. I also love that, as the season changes, the basket itself will become part of that transition.
Did you make this Gothic Mourning Hanging Basket project? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
