Even if you don't have a backyard, you may still be able to support pollinators by growing native plants!
Only have space for a single planter on your balcony? You can still grow a pollinator garden. This container garden plan using our Condo Collection of wildflower seeds provides great inspiration for a native plant garden spilling out of a container on your balcony.
But there are lots more wildflower species to choose from that grow well in containers! Check which ones are native to your region using the links to see which ones your local pollinators will love.
Our Container Planting Recommendations:
- Wild Columbine
- Bottle Gentian
- Hoary Vervain
- Wild Lupine
- Dotted Mint
- Hairy Beardtongue
- Blanketflower
- Prairie Coneflower
- Black-Eyed Susan
- Lanceleaf Coreopsis
- Pearly Everlasting
- Grey Goldenrod
- Virgin's Bower (a great climber for balcony railings)
Coreopsis lanceolata
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata)
My Growing Tips for Container Perennials
Moisture:
Soil in containers dries out faster than the ground, so you may need to water several times a week during hot summer months. But, you don't want to drown them either. Make sure your pots have drainage holes and aren't sitting in water to drown after a rainfall. This is a Goldie Locks, not too wet and not too dry situation. The best way to tell if you need to water is to stick a finger about 3 inches into the soil and feel what's going on below the surface. If it's completely dry 3 inches down it's probably time to water. Once established, most native plants are drought tolerant so watering is more important in the first 2 months after seeds are planted. You also don't really have to worry about fertilizing unless you're seeing obvious signs of nutrient deficiency like yellowing leaves in the middle of the growing season.
Winter:
The ideal way to keep your perennial planters alive over winter is to leave them outside at ground level, in a somewhat sheltered location where they will get covered in snow. If that's not possible, just make sure they are exposed to snow and not left under cover to dry out completely.
"Pests":
Remember, you're planting native wildflowers for the purpose of feeding wildlife. If you notice caterpillars or other insects, or even birds eating parts of your plants, don't panic and treat it as a pest problem. This is exactly what you want to see! Native plants are host plants for lots of butterflies and moths, so while it can be jarring when you only have space for a few plants of a species and you notice they're being chewed up by caterpillars, don't worry. It is likely your plants will recover after the insects have completed their life cycle in a few short weeks, and you get to observe that life cycle right on your balcony! How cool!
Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
I hope this gives you a bit of inspiration to go ahead and grow that pollinator planter pot. Small spaces can make a big impact, and our urban pollinators will thank you for it.
