Hi, all,
I have limited space for my butterfly garden, so after thinking about it a little, I thought that perhaps I could plant (or grow from seed) some of the BF favorites in large pots and containers. When they were ready to come into bloom, then, I will set them out into the BF border in the spaces of the perennials that bloomed earlier and have finished and have been cut back---
My pots are about 24 inches across and 18 inches deep. Does anyone use this method for prolonging bloom time in the BF garden??
Plants I was thinking of containerizing are:
Tithonia (I could grow the shorter versions--Torch, Aztec, etc.) from seed or cuttings?
Little 'Joe Pye Weed' -- I think it's shorter cultivar than the usual
Agastache -- I wonder if this would work in Pots? from seed?
Monarda --- Do butterflies even like this?
Helenium --- Good late summer bloom
Milkweeds -- I suppose this would work? Cuttings and Seed
Ironweed --- would this work in a pot? From seed?
I have tried Sunflowers and Coreopsis like this and they seem to be doing OK.
My Verbenas 'homestead purple' died in my pots--maybe from over watering?
Zinnias -- I wish I had started them sooner...
Does anyone grow Asters from seed? They would work in pots, I think.
Any thoughts, comments or pictures of various butterfly nectar or host plants in large pots?
Thanks a lot. t.
Container/Pot Gardening for Butterflies??
Hi T! I love container gardening. (Though it gets really hot here for the plants during the summer months!) Letting them get too dry or too wet is an issue. (I have one of those cheapie gages that tell ya if the soil is dry or damp which is helpful.) I have grown asters from seeds. (Actually they grow very nicely from seeds!)
And I have done pots with host and nectar plants in it. Your size pots sound great for doing something like that! Milkweed grows great in a container, but you have to be careful about overwatering it. Best to find out individual plant watering needs and group them together in a pot.
Here is one of my own favorites. (It's for butterflies and hummers.):
Red Salvia
Milkweed
Petunia
And I had added red Nasturtiums in there too, but they never germinated.
I keep my dill, fennel and parsley in pots. That way when I have eggs or cats, I can put the whole pot into the cat cage.
Terrie
Hi Girls,
I can't do seeds to save my life...but i'm enjoying the conversation!! :)
Adrienne
Don't feel bad, Adrienne. I planted over 100 dill seeds back in January. Most of them germinated, but when all was said and done I think I had about 8 dill plants. So, it's back to the store for me.
8*D
I didn't think seeds would work for me either until I did 6-4'X6' seed beds! And I do pots that way too! The photo of my pot above was done from seeds. (Of course, some don't germinate.) I did discover that early Spring is the best time to plant seeds. Summer is just too hot. Burns up those tender little babies unless they are grown in full or partial shade. Believe me .... I wouldn't have my ever-growing selection of plants if I didn't do seeds. I could never afford to buy all these new plants I now have in my gardens if it wasn't from all the seeds I've gotten in swaps and trades and SASBE. Heck, the 11 Maypop vines are $15.00 a piece at the local nurseries. I got them for free as seeds and now have the vines growing all over some of my backyard fence panels! :-)
I try to do some container gardening as well as I don't quite have the room for all the plants I have...well, I do have the room but haven't gotten up the nerve to remove the backyard lawn to plant stuff :o) So I keep many plants in pots lined up against my fence, under trees or on my backporch. Our weather right now is in the 100's most days so that really does a number on the potted plants.
I keep stuff like rue, dill, green shrimp plant, dalechampia, passifloras and other larval hosts like my guava, fig and mulberry trees in large 5 gallon pots...that way they take over the yard.
~ Cat
I have milkweed all over the place, including Earth Boxes. Growing a cabbage too, for the cabbage white I hope. Frequently pot up the parsley and fennel to put in the cage when needed.
Now have Mexican Sunflower (tithonia rotundiflora) in a 20" container. Just started blooming.
Pretty pot of red posies! No doubt about it, being able to grow plants from seeds opens up a world of possibilities! I am a klutz at it too, but I keep trying... And seed sowing saves big $$, too!
Interesting about the Earthboxes. Don't have any experience with them--just read a few threads about them on one of the forums--which one, I can't remember. I think it makes the watering easier, doesn't it?
But, that brings me around to "Straw Bale Gardening" another thread I came across. Don't really know what the point of it is, other than if you have less than desirable soil it is a good way to grow veggies. I was thinking it might be a great way to grow Milkweed fast and easy. I will have to look into it more, unless somebody here already knows.
This article makes Straw Ball gardening sound absolutely idyllic:
http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/strawbales.htm
Speaking of seeds, Thompson & Morgan is having their half-off sale.
http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/us/
WOW! That straw bale link is interesting!
~ Cat
Lots of experience with Earth Boxes over the years. The way it works is: there is a reservoir of water in the bottom. Over that is a screen. The soil and fertilizer goes over the screen and get planted with just about anything you want. The top gets covered with black plastic to keep out weeds and heat the soil (in the Northeast).
Every few days I put a hose into a cylinder that goes from above ground directly into the water chamber to fill it. Excess water comes out a hole in the lowest part of the box.
That's about it. Everything does well: have tried milkweed which grew very fast in the box. Have always used box for tomatoes, garlic, etc. etc.
Here's the Earthbox link for anyone interested in the details:
http://www.earthbox.com/consumer/grow.php
Thanks for the info, tropicalkaren, Sounds promising.
I wonder how many milkweed plants you could grow in an earthbox....?