Gardening is a great way to enhance the beauty of your home, but it's also a great way to care for local wildlife. Pollinator insects, like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, rely on local fauna to survive. This is especially important considering that honeybee populations in the U.S. are declining rapidly. With the right plant choices, these creatures can also help your garden thrive. But with so many options, what's the best way to create a pollinator garden? TikTok has some ideas.
The operator of the TikTok account @needmorefarmsnc recently shared a video explaining how to DIY the perfect “pollinator haven” planter in just a few steps.
They started with large pots (anything over 20 inches will do) to allow enough space for the plants, a water source, and pollinators.
I then filled it in with high-quality potting soil and planted nectar-rich, pollinator-attracting plants around the edges – @Needmorefarmsnc used red nicotiana, cuphea to attract hummingbirds, pincushion (aka scabiosa) to attract butterflies and bees, and lantana.
Then they added a water source, which is a great way to attract pollinators to your planter. Luckily, you have plenty of options, like a terracotta saucer, a smaller pot, or, as in their case, stacking two succulent planters together. Whatever you choose, make sure to center the planter in the pot.
Finally, I filled the top planter with water, you might also want to pick up some small rocks and place them inside the planter to allow your local pollinators to have a water source without worrying about drowning.
@needmorefarmsnc suggests you could stop there, but recommends adding a small solar-powered fountain at the end, which will stop pesky mosquitoes from swarming around your planters. From there, you can enjoy a stunning planter garden, perfect for a large backyard or balcony. Happy planting!