Place your basket in a terracotta pot or on a bucket to stabilise it while you work. Snip a few holes in the liner, which can be plastic, moss, coir or jute, to let water drain out. This also allows you to plant trailing plants around the sides through the liner.
Using a trowel or flower pot, half-fill the basket with multipurpose compost.
Put the largest, most dramatic plant in the centre of the basket, such as a fuchsia or geranium, to create structure and impact.
Place three or four trailing plants evenly around the sides. Angle them slightly, but ensure that the roots are still covered by the compost.
Flowering plants such as verbenas and small petunias make good fillers. Try planting ivy near the chain and weave it around to give the effect that the ivy is supporting the basket. Fill with more compost and firm gently.
Affix the wall bracket according to instructions and position your basket in a sunny spot sheltered from wind and water well. Feed and water regularly. If you plan to go away, plant baskets with a moisture-absorbing compost that retains twice as much water as ordinary compost.
Help plants put all their energy into establishing roots by pinching off early flowers. Once the plants are larger you can let them bloom.