How to create a summer pot for pollinators

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Sunday, 28 April 2019 at 3:27 pm

Serve up a feast for pollinators by creating this gorgeous summer pot.

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Pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hoverflies, need nectar to give them energy to fly, and bees also need pollen to feed their young. Give them a helping hand by creating this pot packed with colourful, pollen- and nectar-rich blooms.

Find out how to create a wildlife-friendly summer pot for pollinators, below.

You Will Need

Large pot
Multi-purpose, peat-free compost
Nectar-rich plants, such as agastache, liatris, oregano, sage and lamb's ears

Step 1

Choose a pot at least 50cm in diameter and fill the pot two-thirds full with compost. Remove the plants from their pots and tease out the roots if tightly congested.

Step 2

Arrange the plants evenly in the pot, with the tallest at the back. Fill in around the rootballs with compost, then firm down gently to a few centimetres below the rim.

Step 3

Water the container well and top up with more compost if necessary. Ensure the pot remains moist but not waterlogged and deadhead blooms to keep them flowering.

Worried about caterpillars? The caterpillars of many butterfly species that visit our gardens, actually feed on plants often thought of as weeds, including nettles and dock. Rather than cutting them all down, one of the best things you can do is leave certain areas of garden to their own devices, to allow these food plants to grow. Food plants include nettles, birdsfoot trefoil, thistles (Onopordum), buckthorn and garlic mustard.