Creating
The Perfect Small Bee Garden: Hanging Baskets Provide Plenty of Options
Christy Ericsson (Guest Blogger)
Bee populations are rapidly declining as
chemicals, parasites, and environmental changes make it difficult for them to
thrive. Essentially, bees play an important role in pollinating not only the flowers that we
enjoy, but a substantial number of the fruits and vegetables we eat in our
homes. For that reason, individuals are looking for ways to support these insects in their quest
to survive and for those with a minimal amount of space to use, hanging baskets
can be an easy way to make an impact.
Hanging baskets can be great for attracting
bees
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, (RSPB) explains that hanging baskets are ideal for small spaces and with a bit of planning they
can be gorgeous additions to a small courtyard, garden, or patio. There are
plenty of options you can use in a bee-friendly hanging basket, and these can
be a great way for beginning gardeners to help the bees while starting small.
One thing to keep in mind is that many popular
pollinator-friendly flowers are too high to be used in a hanging basket, and
you want to carefully choose plants that suit the size of the basket
you're using. However, you can look for plants that will cascade over the edges
of the basket, as those produce a beautiful look. Aim to use flowers native to
your area and focus on plants with single blooms that are colorful, especially
those that are purple, yellow, blue, and white.
Consider the basket location and make watering
properly a priority.
Try to choose a spot that is sunny, but not
exposed to extreme heat or high winds, suggests
SF Gate. Hanging baskets do need to be watered
regularly, usually four to five times a week, as the soil tends to dry out
fairly quickly. During the hottest summer days (and not the fall if you are in California), you may find that you sometimes
need to water them twice a day. However, you don't want to overwater your bee
garden baskets, or you risk killing your flowers.
Water the basket when the soil on top is dry
to the touch and add water until you see it coming out of the drainage holes on
the bottom. The Garden Glove explains that hanging baskets require more water than
typical container plants and you want to keep the soil moist or you can
permanently damage the root systems.
Plenty of plants work well in a hanging basket
bee garden
Gardeners World suggests using lawn moss and
conifer branches to line your bee-friendly hanging basket, and trailing
lobelias or single bloom fuchsias are great picks to incorporate. Flowers like
diascias, bidens, single-flowered marigolds, nasturtiums, sweet alyssum, and bacopa often do well in
this type of setting too.
Feel free to experiment and get creative, as
hanging baskets provide the opportunity to put together a variety of mixes and
looks. When you can, incorporate several different types of flowers with
different textures and colors, and possibly even different bloom times, to give
your bees plenty of variety. If you are looking to branch out beyond simply
flowers, try planting herbs, strawberries, or tomatoes in hanging baskets too.
One simple way to help the bees is to create
hanging baskets geared toward attracting these insects. Look for bee-friendly
plants that suit the size of your chosen basket and incorporate plenty of
single-bloom plants native to your area. These baskets do not necessarily take
a great deal of skill or work, other than frequent watering, so they are great
for beginning gardeners. At the same time, they are helpful to the bees and add
some added flair to your home.
