Ah, those amazing bees. As a gardener, we know just how important bees and other pollinators are to our entire ecosystem. While we have a small, city garden I have tried to create a bee-friendly garden that keeps our little friends happy. Someone asked me recently, how to create a bee-friendly balcony. And, I've done a whole pile of research and pulled together all this awesome information for you balcony folks.
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Balconies are an important part of how we can support our bee populations. As the high rises go up we need to provide our bees and other pollinators with places to stop and smell the roses. The trend in most cities is to build upward. Gone are the sprawling suburban yards. This might lead people to ask if it's even possible to attract bees upwards. Well, good news! It is totally possible to attract bees to a balcony, especially if you follow these tips.
How to Create a Bee-Friendly Balcony Garden
Know Your Balcony
When you plan any garden you have to get to know the space. What direction is your balcony facing? Does it get sunshine? Does it get morning, cooler sun? Or, does it get the hotter midday sun? What is the wind like on your balcony? Does your balcony have a glass railing or a solid railing? How large is your balcony? What is the drainage like on your balcony? Does water pool in certain spots? Take some time to look at your balcony during different times of the day to see what the light is like. Once you have an understanding of the light levels, windiness, etc you will be better able to choose the right plants and containers.
Find the Right Containers
Once you've got a good feel for the conditions on your balcony it's time to think of the containers you will use. Shallow and small containers will contain less soil and will dry out faster than larger, deeper containers. Also, you need to determine if your containers need to be raised up, to reach the sunlight. A glass balcony will allow you to have lower containers. A solid railing may block the light and you might need to either have containers that mount to the wall, tall containers, or use a planting shelf or rack. You may want to consider self-watering containers. This style of container allows you to fill a reservoir with water, within the container itself, that seeps water into the roots of your plants. These are great for growing vegetables on a sunny balcony.
Choose the Correct Soil
Unlike a garden in a backyard, you have total control over the soil your plants will grow in. This means you want to use the correct soil right from the start. It is critical that you fill your containers with potting soil and not topsoil. Potting soil contains different "ingredients" like moss, bark, perlite, vermiculite, and compost. Vermiculite and perlite keep the soil from compacting around plant roots and help with proper drainage of the soil. Potting soil contains compost and organic materials that will help feed your plants. You can even find potting soils that contain water-retaining crystals, so plants don't dry out too quickly. Investing in the correct soil is truly one of the most important steps in growing plants successfully on a balcony.
Don't Forget Proper Drainage
Make certain that each container has a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. If it doesn't have a hole, use a drill to make a hole. Before you fill the container with soil you need to find a way to keep the drainage hole clear. You could pour in a layer of loose gravel or shards of broken pots, something to stop the soil from simply draining out of your pot. It is important that water be able to drain out of the container, or the plant roots will rot and the plants will die. Finally, place a saucer under your pots to elevate them and allow the water to properly drain. If I don't have a saucer, I simply place two sticks under my pots, they provide a small space under the pot for the water to drain away.
Best Flowers for Bee-Friendly Balcony Garden
You've picked your containers, you've decided where they will go and you've filled them with the best soil now what are you going to plant in this bee-friendly balcony? Bees look for colorful flowers to land in, here are a few examples of plants that bees love.
- Perrenial flowers - daisies, bee balm, verbena, phlox, balloon flower, black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, asters, butterfly weed, and sedum.
- Annual flowers - impatiens, black-eyed Susan vine, alyssum, marigolds, sunflowers, petunias, and geraniums.
- Herbs - lavender, mint, chives, basil, sage, oregano, chamomile, nasturtiums, and snapdragons.
Group Plants
When you go to fill your containers you will want to group plants by the growing conditions they need. Plants that need full sun should be together. Plants that need shade should be together. Think about the balance of heights in your containers. And, many of the perennials will need lots of space to spread and they will work great in larger pots, or split into smaller pots as they expand.
Out of the Wind
Wind can be a real factor on a balcony. One, it may blow your containers around, which can be dangerous and costly. And, two it may blow your plants around and damage the flowers/plants. There isn't anything we can do to prevent wind from blowing. But, we can try and work with the windy conditions. If your balcony is particularly windy consider placing rocks or bricks in the bottom of your containers, before you add the soil, to add some extra weight. Also, grouping containers together and thus the flowers stick together, can help keep the damage down. If your balcony is super windy, stick with trailing plants and low-growing plants. Try and pick the least windy, but still sunny spot on your balcony. My yard is quite windy and I have found that plants are actually quite resilient and can tolerate wind, so give it a go the first season, observe, learn, and use what you learn in the next growing season.
Bees Like Clumps of Color
Bees don’t have the same vision as humans. They can’t see the full spectrum of colors. It is believed that bees can best see purple, blue, white, and yellow, while they cannot see red. Not to worry, they will still land on red plants. So, you may want to place your containers together so that bees will be able to easily hop from one variety of flowers to the next.
Water, Water, Water
Now comes the maintenance of your garden...don't forget to water the plants. Containers can dry out quickly, especially when they are in the direct sun. So, set a "water the garden" alarm on your phone. First thing in the morning or late in the afternoon are the best times to water the garden. Keep your watering can close at hand, so you don't have to go hunting around for it. Check out this post to learn about using coffee grounds in your garden...as a fertilizer.
Skip Toxic Pesticides
Okay, so you've created this beautiful garden and now you have some pests...aphids or mealy bugs or whatever else lives in your area...what are you going to do? Step away from toxic pesticides. A balcony garden can end up with pests, although it shouldn't be as hard to control as a garden on the ground. The number one step to getting rid of pests is kinda gross...but it works...put on a pair of gloves and pick them off your plants. Yep. Carry a cup of water with you and drop the squished bugs into the cup. Oftentimes, a spray bottle with a combination of dish soap and water will get rid of bugs too. There are lots of recipes online for non-chemical options. Or, contact your garden center. Honestly, one year I had a bad infestation of lily leaf beetles, I picked them off over and over again. The next year they came back, so I stopped growing lilies. No more lily leaf beetles. Sometimes we win and sometimes we learn and move on.
Think of the Off Season
If you don't have any space indoors to store your pots in the winter then you will want to opt for pots that can withstand the freeze-thaw of winter. You can either properly insulate your pots - line the pots with sheets of styrofoam. Choose pots that are made from durable plastic materials. And, in the fall be sure to clean any annual plants from your pots and cover your pots so they don't fill with water (snow/rain) that will soak the soil which will expand and contract over the winter...thus breaking the pots. Move any containers with perennials to the most sheltered spot you have. Group them and cover them to protect them from the cold and sun. Of course, if you live in a place where you don't reach freezing temps then use what you like!
If you are looking for any more information about growing a bee-friendly garden be sure to check out my post all about the importance of bees and pollinators.
Most of all, have fun! Gardening is fun! Your balcony is your own little outdoor space so fill it with things you love and you will always enjoy spending time out there and so will the bees!
We also share how to make a bee bath to add to your bee garden!
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