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Bees, birds, butterflies and other pollinators play an important role in our global ecosystem. In fact, they are essential.

By transporting pollen from one plant to another, they make growing the food we eat and the beautiful garden spaces we enjoy possible.

One of the easiest ways to support a healthy growing environment is to plant a diverse selection of plants, making sure to include the types of blooms that various pollinators love.

“Pollinator gardens provide food for bees, butterflies, moths, wasps and other helpful species,” says Diane Blazek, executive director at National Garden Bureau (www.ngb.org) “In turn, they pollinate the vegetables that produce our food. They really are essential. That’s why it is important for everyone to do their part.”

You don’t have to devote a large space to pollinators to make a difference. Container gardens are a great way to provide the food sources that pollinators need to thrive. Having movable containers can also come in very handy if you want to move your pollinator gardens from space to space.

Let’s say you really want to attract bees but have company coming and there is a concern about the nearness of your beloved bees. It is easy to move the containers to another area of your garden for the duration of that visit. Or you have hummingbird-attracting plants and want to move them so you can watch them at work from the comfort of your home. Simply move them to be visible from inside.

A diverse selection of plants attracts a diverse range of pollinators. Different flower colours attract different pollinators but adding various flower shapes and forms is also important. Butterflies like flower clusters with flat, open blooms like yarrow, coneflower and zinnia. Hummingbirds like the tubular flower types such as penstemon and salvia. Bees and wasps prefer different types of flowers depending on their tongue length.

There are so many beautiful pollinator-friendly plant choices; the container combinations are endless. Here are a few to get your pollinator containers growing.

Echinacea, or coneflowers, provide a summer pollinator food source, then a fall/winter seed source, for birds. Compact varieties can be a wonderful addition to smaller containers, while taller types serve as the focal point of the container. Because coneflowers come in many colour choices, you’re sure to find one to work with your colour scheme.

Sedum flowers in late summer and early fall, providing a food source at a time when fewer floral resources are available. Tall, border sedums such as ‘Autumn Joy’ and ‘Autumn Fire,’ with broccoli-like flowers that start off chartreuse and then turn deep pink in the autumn, look great in a large container. Sedum spurium ‘Red Carpet’ has bronzy-red foliage in spring fading to green in midsummer, and red flowers mid-season, and will trail over the edge of the container. Sedums are drought tolerant.

The tall, spiky blooms of both annual and perennial salvias are naturals in any pollinator garden. Extremely easy to grow, and available in several different colours and species, they look beautiful in containers all on their own. Salvias are magnets for bees and hummingbirds. Annual salvia patens ‘Deep Blue’ and ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ are the stars of my summer containers — a single plant will easily fill a large container by mid-summer. Perennial salvia (salvia nemerosa) ‘Bumbleblue’ bloomed over a long season in my home garden and is compact enough for a smaller container.

Basil serves several purposes in the home garden. First, this aromatic herb is the perfect complement to summer tomatoes, it makes a fragrant and long lasting addition to cut flower arrangements and it is a magnet for pollinators. Interesting varieties to try include ‘African Blue’ (with purple stems and lavender flowers), ‘Genovese’ (the best variety for cooking) and ‘Lemon Scented’ (less vigorous, white flowers and pale green leaves). Basil needs full sun and thrives in a large container on the deck or patio.

Heat-loving verbenas are available in mounding or trailing types that can be container centrepieces or accent plants to soften the edge of a container. They are available in a wide range of colours including white, violets, purple, pink and red with many interesting bi-colours. Look for verbenas where they sell four-centimetre “stuffer” annuals for containers.

Don’t forget to water

Container gardens will dry out faster than landscape plantings, so water more frequently to keep the soil evenly moist. Self-watering containers save time and are handy if you are away during the summer. Simply keep the water-holding reservoirs at capacity and your plants will be watered as needed.

Take into account the sun, or shade, you have to offer when purchasing plants for your pollinator containers.

In addition to a large selection of flower colours and textures, pollinators are attracted to blooms at varying heights. Place your containers on decorative plant stands to elevate containers for a pleasing design.

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