Create a Bee Friendly Planter
This year I wanted to create a few large scale planters to add some color to our backyard. We have been working very hard on finishing a new deck build, landscaping, a tree fort and pool installation! I will be sharing all of that with you over the summer months These planters have made the perfect addition to our new outdoor space. It was important to me that we provided our local bees with some plants that would encourage them to pollinate and do their thing. So today I am sharing tips on how to create a bee friendly planter!
How to create a bee friendly planter:
There are all kinds of bee friendly plants to choose from. I chose plants that are draught tolerant and like to be exposed to full sun. We live in an area that gets very hot in the summer months and we are often gone camping so it was important that our plants could withstand periods of time with little water. All of our plants were purchased at Costco, I love Costco for local, inexpensive plants! Here are the plants that we used to create our bee friendly planters…
Black-Leaved Thrift
Armeria maritima ‘Vesuvius’
Perennial | full sun | good for edging
Perennial Sage
Salvia ‘Sensation Deep Rose’
Perennial | full sun | good for containers
Pink Thrift
Armeria maritima ‘Dusseldorf Pride’
Perennial | full sun | flowers spring and fall
Perennial Sage
Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’
Perennial | full sun | summer flowers
Campanula
Annual | sun to part shade | good for cascading edges
Border Pink
Dianthus Firewitch
Perennial | full sun | long bloomer
Autumn Stonecrop
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Perennial | sun to part shade | fall blooms
Snapdragons
Annual | sun to part shade | summer blooms
Lavender
Lavandula
Perennial | full sun | hardy and drought tolerant
For each of our planters I purchased a 5 gallon lavender, two 1 gallon perennials and 3-4 annuals. I used these DIY Plastic Bucket Planters to create our bee friendly garden.
Good drainage is always important in a planter. Here I have filled half of our container with rocks and a sand based soil. I invited my mom and grandma over to fill the remainder of the pots with potting soil and plants. We had a wonderful time getting together to plant! Check out my How To Plant Annuals post for more detailed tips and photographs for planting.
Our finished bee friendly planter!
I love how these planters filled out! Using a large planter will allow for more time between waterings which is important during our hot summers! And choosing plants that are draught tolerant and bee friendly is a win-win! Not only do they look beautiful but they smell good too!
Here is a shot of our backyard and planters. This used to be the Salsa Garden but is now a simple pathway between the deck and tree fort. Soon the upper portion of the yard will have a new pool too! Stay tuned for more updates…
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Such a wonderful time of making memories, inviting your moms and “playing in the dirt together,”. My daughters and I did that at my home. Due to mobility issues, I could not plant this year, so the girls got together and we had a “girls day of playing in the dirt.” Precious memories were made bonding together, fun, food, fellowship, and LOVE.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
a lot of those plants seem to be perennials, will you just keep each year in the planters or put in ground so they come back each year?
Where did you get the planter buckets?
Has anyone referred to Salvia plants by as “Firecrackers? Is attracting bees 🐝 smart?