Pot Collection for Balcony or Patio
PLANTING SCHEMES for Small Spaces and Pollinators:
Pots are an extremely versatile way of getting variety and colour into a small garden space. Don’t let them dry out in sun or windy conditions and remember that large pots can become very heavy - particularly when their soil is wet - so make sure any balcony you position them on is strong enough to take the additional weight.
This grouping of 3 pots, is designed for lasting texture and colour and, of course, maximum attraction for butterflies, bees and other pollinators.
POT 1: 60cm diameter
BLL: Buddleja ‘Little Lila’ - Butterfly Bush
Know for being large, untidy shrubs with a fondness for rough ground and railway sidings, recent years have seen an introduction of smaller ‘patio’ varieties, created specially for sunny pots and planters. Buddleja ‘Little Lila’ will exist quite happily in a good sized pot and will reward your kindness with frequent visits from butterflies.
POT 2: 60cm diameter
Cb: Cosmos bipinnatus - Cosmos
The regular form of this popular annual can become very tall and unwieldy, so for planting in pots, look for the shorter ‘Apollo’ variety. Offering colour and beauty in abundance, bees and butterflies will flock to feed on pollen from their pale pink or white flowers.
NJW: Nepeta x faassenii ‘Junior Walker’ - Catmint
A more compact grower than other Nepeta varieties, ‘Junior Walker’ makes a good path and border edging as well as being comfortable in a pot. The long-flowering blue blooms are a delight to humans and insects alike.
SDB: Scabiosa ‘Deep Blue’ (Flutter Series) - Pincushion Flower
The larger than average flowers of this compact Scabious are loved by bees, as well as making good cutting flowers. Keep trimming the sturdy stems and more flowers will come.
POT 3: 45cm diameter
GWB: Gaura (Oenothera) lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ - Gaura
Graceful and airy, with long wands of white, star-shaped flowers and an exceptionally long flowering period, this gorgeous plant is a must for any pollinator friendly garden. It also works well in a sunny border, where it will have the space to really get going.
ANT: Armeria marítima ‘Nifty Thrifty’ - Thrift
Compact and low growing, so perfect for filling gaps in planters and borders, this pretty little evergreen with variegated leaves has charming bright pink flowers to attract insects’ attention.
Ek: Erigeron karvinskianus - Mexican Fleabane
This gorgeous little plant loves growing in cracks in paving and walls and is happy in sun or partial shade. Butterflies and bees enjoy the mass of small daisies with shades of white and pink and an attractive yellow centre.
Pippa Martlew has many years’ experience designing gardens, large and small, for private and commercial clients.
A Chelsea veteran, Pippa has assisted on numerous show gardens, including 6 Gold medal gardens and a Best in Show (while working for Andy Sturgeon). Closer to home, she enjoys tending her Wandsworth allotment and her own tiny terrace garden. A long-standing friend, Pippa and the London Honey Company have collaborated on a number of projects.