7 Portable Pollinator Pots for Greater Pollination

With local Spring weather warming up earlier in recent years I use my Portable Pollinator Pots to pollinate early blossoms. It has become a challenge to pollinate our few fruit trees and bushes for a bumper crop due to a noticeable reduction of bees in this area. The pots overwinter in the greenhouse and flower much earlier than outdoor garden plants. These early flowering plants are placed near fruit trees to encourage bees and other beneficial insects to visit and pollinate the flowers in early Spring when there is a shortage of other blossoms.

I use mostly herbs in portable pollinator pots as these have always been a huge attractant  although Kale  is definitely King when in bloom. Each year I leave a few kale plants to winter over to flower the following spring and am always rewarded with a multitude of bees in the garden.

If I was to rate the herbs for pollinator pots my first choice would be the faithful chives. If I had more room in the garden I think I would grow rows of chives around my garden as their lovely mauve colour brightens up any area. Here is a list of my favourite portable Pollinator Pot herbs :

Pollinator #1 Chives 

• One of the first to flower in the garden
• Easy to grow from seed and transplant
• Repels pests and insects

Pollinator #2 Mint

• Many different species from peppermint to spearmint
• Mint in pots is great but seeds can spread easily and can become invasive
• Makes great tea (when fresh or dried) and a zesty addition to fruit salad

Pollinator #3 Lemon Balm

• Related to the mint family and has small white flowers
• Distinctive lemon flower, fragrance and taste
• Used medicinally for centuries

Pollinator#4 Thyme

• Naturally flowers in the garden early in the Spring
• Highly fragrant with a delicate flower
• Great for use in the kitchen and as a tea when dried

Pollinator #5 Sage

• Distinctive and decorative leaves with purple flowers
• Blooms later and lasts for a long time
• Also used medicinally for many centuries

Pollinator #6 Lavender

• Another member of the mint family
• Flowers for a long time so most beneficial in the garden for later blossoms
• Plant one or two in pots and in a permanent bed (as a border) to enjoy its perfume and colour
• Flourishes in hot, dry weather
• Lavender (and lemon balm) are made into widely used essential oils

Pollinator #7 Fragrant Mountain Himalayan Sweetbox 

One last plant to introduce which is new to me. It is not a herb and is a winter bloomer. It is appropriately named Fragrant Mountain or officially Himalyan Sweetbox (Sarcococca humilis "Sarsid 2") and it is a secret to be shared. It does not have a spectacular flower or foliage but in the late winter and early spring when it flowers it has the most delightfully sweet fragrant perfume which attracts a multitude of insects including any bees which may be around from January to April. It has many appealing features, including the following reasons why you should include this attractive bush in both your permanent and portable pot gardens.

1. Disease resistant
2. Grows and flowers in partial or full shade
3. It has an "exotic" perfume with a delightful welcoming fragrance (at your home's front entrance)
4. Small pink and white flowers are on the bush for 2 to 3 months
5. It is a small bush requiring little or no maintenance
6. And best of all - it is deer and rabbit resistant
7. What more could you ask for. Fragrant Mountain - a unique gift idea for the gardener in your life

Notes

• If you have room plant a permanent herb garden between your house and the vegetable garden
• For larger gardens plant a variety of herbs around the perimeter or at end of your crops
• Many commercial farms rent bees or have their own beehives. Consider Mason bees available from local seed supply companies
• The herb pots stored over winter in the greenhouse and cold frames are always growing far ahead of other plants each spring
• Prepare your portable pollinator pots this summer ready for next spring

All these herbs are low maintenance and are perennial and come back every spring. They are a bounty to the busy gardener and the bees alike. When the plants become pot bound simply plant them permanently or give them away (lavender, sage and mint are all easy to propagate)

Planting functional flowers and bushes you enjoy adds to the quality and pleasure in your garden. All these plants are relatively easy to grow, require very little care and maintenance and take a small amount of time to make. Portable Pollinator Pots also make great gifts. Happy gardening ~ Liz

Rosemary for Remembrance and Lavender for Love

 Links & References

• Reasons to hand pollinate - Wikipedia