- You should pay attention to this when planting flower boxes
- Bee-friendly flower boxes: DIY instructions
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You don't necessarily need a large garden to do something good for bees. We present two inspirations for bee-friendly flower boxes.
Bees are welcome guests at many gardeners. No wonder, after all, the hard-working animals not only produce sweet honey, but are also invaluable when it comes to pollinating plants. Many gardeners therefore try to support the bees in their garden as best they can and give them a helping hand with the right plants. But what if you don't have a garden but only a balcony? No problem - we'll show you how you can easily create bee-friendly flower boxes.
Flower boxes are an absolute must to create a pleasant atmosphere on the balcony. It is even better if you do something good with the flower boxes and support bees, for example. You can find out how this works here.
You should pay attention to this when planting flower boxes
Flower boxes are naturally bee-friendly, aren't they? Unfortunately, this is a common misconception - many flower boxes may look good, but they are not a suitable place for bees to go. The planting is often the problem: typical balcony flowers such as geraniums (Pelargoinum) or cultivated dahlias (Dahlia) promise plenty of nourishment with their scent, but offer hardly any nectar and pollen for the bees due to their double flowers. Bee-friendly plants, on the other hand, do not come up with opulent flowers, but can still score points with their appearance and long flowering period. Monocultures should also be avoided not only in the garden but also on the balcony. Since many wild bee varieties depend on certain plants, a wide variety of flowers can also provide for significantly more insects. In addition, you should make sure to equip your window boxes with flowering plants from spring to late autumn. So you can not only look forward to pretty flowers all year round, but also ensure that the bees are always adequately supplied.
Tip: With its numerous bee-friendly types of herbs and flowers, the Plantura bee pasture is ideal for your flower boxes. The premium seed mix provides the bees on your balcony with nectar and pollen for months.
Bee-friendly flower boxes: DIY instructions
A flower box beautifies every balcony - if it is also bee-friendly, the joy is all the greater. We will tell you here how best to proceed when planting a bee-friendly flower box.
Required Materials
You don't need much for a bee-friendly flower box. In fact, all you need is:
- A suitable plant container (basket, wooden box, flower box)
- Potting Soil
- Universal fertilizer
- Coconut Mat
- Bee Friendly Plants
- Shovel and watering can
Procedure for planting the flower boxes
Willow baskets and wooden boxes not only look great as planters for the balcony, but are also often much more environmentally friendly than plastic flower boxes thanks to their natural materials. However, before you begin to fill the pots with soil, you should line the inside of the pot so that no soil can fall out. Coir mats, which can be found in almost every garden store, are well suited for this, as they can be cut individually. But sackcloth or lawn moss are also suitable for this - it is particularly important that the material is permeable to air and water. This is the only way to prevent waterlogging later in the flower box, which can be harmful to the plants. The potting soil for the new balcony boxes should be mixed with our Plantura organic universal fertilizer beforehand: This way the plants will find optimal conditions to thrive quickly in their new location. The prepared soil can now be placed in the planter. Now the bee-friendly flowers can move in. In order to enable optimal root growth, it is worth loosening the root ball a little by hand before digging it in. If all plants are placed to your satisfaction, they should be watered thoroughly again so that they can grow well.
Here is an overview of all the steps again:
- Cut the coconut mat and put it in the plant pot
- Mix soil with universal fertilizer
- Put the soil in the planter
- Root balls of the plantsloosen
- Put plants in the ground
- Watering for optimal growth
Examples and ideas for bee-friendly flower boxes
A window box with bee-friendly plants sounds like a great idea. However, the implementation often fails because many do not know which plants and especially which plant combinations are suitable for such a flower box. We have therefore put together three examples of attractive flower boxes that can serve as inspiration.
Our first combination creates a dream of violet tones: Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) with its purple flowers is not only a real eye-catcher, but also attracts beneficial insects, while at the same time drives away annoying mosquitoes. Currant (Salvia ovrahamis) and garden sage (Salvia nemorosa 'Mystic Spiers Blue') are uncomplicated permanent bloomers and ensure reliable blooms until autumn and can serve as an edible decoration in moderation. The whole thing is rounded off by the African bush basil (Ocimum basilicum 'African Blue'): This is not only very popular with bees, but is also excellent for use in the kitchen.
Our second flower box with mainly white flowers and small red accents is particularly recommended for a simple and elegant balcony design. Here, too, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia 'Edelweiss') plays a crucial role, because the bee-friendly plant is not only available in the characteristic violet, but also in brilliant white. The pineapple strawberry (Fraisier ananas) with its white flowers is not only a treat for bees, but also for people. Especially its striking berries, which are white with red nuts and have a unique taste of pineapple and strawberry instead of the classic red, make the plant a real eye-catcher. White-flowering male faithful (Lobelia erinus) and Indian nettle (Monarda didyma), which can also be found under the name bee balm and shines with red flowers, provide care not only for the right look, but also transform the flower box into a bee paradise.
The flower box shines in orange and yellow when you add dwarf St. John's wort (Hypericumolympicum), marigold (Calendula officinalis) and nasturtium (Tropaeolum). The dwarf St. John's wort shines above all with its bright yellow flowers. The marigold, on the other hand, blooms in a shade of creamy yellow to crimson and is not only useful for bees, but is also used as a medicinal plant in the medicine cabinet. In combination with the nasturtium, which not only impresses with its appearance but also with its edible flowers, the result is a great bee-friendly flower box in sunny shades.
You can find out here how to transform not only your balcony but also your garden into a bee paradise.