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Attract Pollinators with Container Gardening - National Garden Bureau

Attract Pollinators with Container Planters

Container Gardening, Pollinator GardeningJune 19, 2019gail

No yard? No problem!

Container planters can help you play a part in attracting pollinators even if you don’t have a yard! In the United States one-third of all agricultural output depends on pollinators, we need pollinators and pollinators need us! Help the pollinators do their job by planting pollinator-attracting plants in your containers.

Create your own combinations, or choose one of the proven combinations below. These selections were created by breeders and have been tested to ensure a combination of plants that work and grow well together.

Below are just a few of the different containers that can be designed for pollinators. To see more example, please see our Combination Ideas page.

Annuals for container planters

Putting together a bright, colorful container of annuals is a sure fire way to attract pollinators! Annuals are easy to grow and often bloom from spring to frost making them the perfect flowers to use in containers.

To create a splash of color and bring elegance to your garden design, fill your planters with different color plants of the same variety, like calibrachoas or petunias. Add containers filled with bright colored calibrachoas like these below and you can attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bees as well as other beneficial insects.

Confetti Garden Hawaiian Kalani - Combination Pollinator Garden - National Garden Bureau

Confetti Garden Hawaiian Kalani

Help the pollinators and add color to a porch, deck, balcony or entryway with these bright calibrachoas.

Planter includes:

  • Calibrachoa Aloha Kona Hot Pink
  • Calibrachoa Aloha Kona Hot Orange
  • Calibrachoa Aloha Kona Pineapple
Trixi® On The Double - Combination Planters for Pollinators - National Garden Bureau

Trixi® On The Double

The double blooms are like mini “roses” and you and your pollinators will love the purple tone-on-tone color array.

Planter includes:

  • Calibrachoa hybrida MiniFamous® Uno Double Dark Blue
  • Calibrachoa hybrida MiniFamous® Uno Double PlumTastic
Confetti Garden Hawaiian Summer - Pollinator Container Garden - National Garden Bureau

Confetti Garden Hawaiian Summer

You and the pollinators will enjoy bright bursts of yellow, purple and orange with this collection.

Planter includes:

  • Calibrachoa Aloha Kona Dark Red
  • Calibrachoa Aloha Kona Hot Orange
  • Calibrachoa Aloha Kona Honeycomb

Mixed Varieties

These designs bring together a mixture of different plant varieties that give pollinators a choice. Mixing more than one type of plant in a container planter creates a mini-landscape with a variety of colors and textures giving the design more depth. These designs created by our members are designed so when the plants are fully-grown, not one variety will block or overcrowd the others.

Bee Fabulous - Pollinator Gardening - National Garden Bureau

Bee Fabulous

Your hanging baskets and containers will generate some buzz with pollinators with this combination.

Planter includes:

  • Bidens hybrid Beedance Painted Red
  • Petunia hybrid Surfinia Deep Red
  • Lobelia hybrid Trailing White

Trixi® Raspberry Sorbet

The strong berry colors are offset by a crisp white accent and will delight the pollinators.

Planter includes:

  • Calibrachoa hybrida MiniFamous® Neo White
  • Petunia cultivars Starlet™ Magenta Star
  • Verbena cultivars Blues™ Magenta+Eye
Confetti Garden Shocking Blue - Combination for Pollinators - National Garden Bureau

Confetti Garden Shocking Blue

These mounding and trailing plants are a stunning combination that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Planter includes:

  • Calibrachoa Aloha Kona True Blue
  • Petunia Surprise Blue Sky
  • Verbena Wicked Cool Blue

Perennials can work in Container Planters

Yes, you can enjoy the beauty and pollinator power of perennials in a container on your deck, patio or balcony. Container planters are the perfect solution when you want to enjoy the perennial’s beauty up close or you want to expand the palette of growable perennials in your area, enjoying those perennials that might not enjoy your climate or soil conditions. Added bonus, you can overwinter perennials and enjoy them again next year!

Plug & Play® Sun Sea and Rosé

Plug & Play® Sun Sea and Rosé

A pollinator magnet! This perennial combo attracts bees, butterflies, and songbirds with its fresh color and fragrance. This combo will be blooming through frost.

Planter includes:

  • Echinacea purpurea PowWow Wild Berry
  • Gaillardia x grandiflora Mesa Peach
  • Lavandula angustifolia Blue Spear

Easy Tips for Container Planters

  1. Choose a container with drainage holes at the bottom. This helps avoid the root rot, fungi, and insects that too much water attracts.
  2. Fill your containers with a quality commercial potting soil. Never use soil directly from your garden. Your garden soil, when dry, will harden into a solid mass.
  3. Select plants that require similar soil, light and watering conditions. Base your selection on where you plan to put your container, how often you plan to water it and if the plant needs special soil.
  4. Water frequently. Remember that plants in containers need more water than those grown in the ground. In the heat of summer, check your containers once or twice a day. Container plants dry out quickly. It’s best to water in the early morning to cut down on disease.
  5.  To keep plants their healthiest through the season, be sure to add supplemental fertilizer every three to four weeks throughout the growing season.
  6. To overwinter your perennials for next year, you will need to protect the perennial plants from the extremes of the winter weather. After the first few frosts, place your containers in an unheated garage or if not available, keep pots outside covered with protection. Remind yourself to water these container planters about once a month to keep them from drying out throughout the winter.

Container gardening is a great way to help pollinators and have beautiful flowers on your patio, deck or balcony. You really don’t need a yard to help pollinators!

“This post is provided as an educational/inspirational service of the National Garden Bureau and our members. Please credit and link to National Garden Bureau and author member when using all or parts of this article.”
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