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Garden Design: Create Planters and Raised Beds for Butterflies

Mazzano Planter with flowers for pollinators

A planting for pollinators doesn't have to be large. This Mazzano Planter (15" top dia.) features one Archangel Purple angelonia in the center, surrounded by two each of trailing yellow nasturtium and compact scarlet sage, such as Vista Red. Illustrations by Carlie Hamilton.

A raised bed for pollinators, growing in the Trough VegTrug.

To attract butterflies and other pollinators, simply plant flowers they love — lots of them. The designs here feature blooms that are rich in color and nectar, ensuring that you will welcome dozens of beneficial insects — especially butterflies.

Choose a site that gets sun all day, with easy access to water. The designs are modular; if you can't find a plant that's in my plan, consider a substitute that is the same size: S (small), M (medium), T (tall) and climbing (CL). You'll find all of the plants listed in the chart, Annual Plants for Pollinators, at the end of this article.

Blooms Grow Up and Over in an Abundant Trough

The bed here is designed to fit our 18" x 40" VegTrug™. Choose the Wallhugger or the Trough style. To create the trellis at the back, I used wire trellis grids , supported by bamboo poles, secured to the back of the trug.

The plants in this bed are listed below. For detailed descriptions — and more options, see Annual Plants for Pollinators.

A Cardinal vine
B Firecracker vine
C Hyssop
D Gaura
E Marguerite daisy
F Zinnia
G Cuphea
H Nasturtium
I Blanket flower

Create this Pollinator Hot Spot in a 3x3 Raised Bed

It's easy to fill a 3x3 raised bed with pollinator-friendly plants. Here I've used the 4-in-1 Modular Raised Bed, but you can also do it in any 3x3 bed. The focal point is the Jardin Pot Trellis, which is about 4 feet high — a great size for the passionflower vine, and it fits the scale of the 3x3. If you choose the Cardinal Vine or the Firecracker Vine, use a larger trellis, such as a 5-foot teepee made of bamboo or the Essex Trellis. Morning glories are another great option for this design — just be sure to use a larger trellis.

A Nasturtium
B Monarda
C Sweet alyssum
D Borage
E Calendula
F Passionflower
G Gaura

Annual Plants for Pollinators

Compose your own planter, raised bed or windowbox by choosing from this list of pollinator-preferred plants.

Size	Plant	Botanical name	Note
S	Sweet alyssum	Lobularia maritima	Often sold in multi-packs; easy to start from seed
S	Nasturtium	Tropaeolum majus	If you want them to spill over the edge, look for "trailing" or "climbing" varieties. Easy to start from seed.
S	Annual phlox	Phlox drummondii	Look for the Intensia series
M	Calendula	Calendula officinalis	Single-petal forms—instead of doubles—are more attractive to butteflies.
M	Sweet William	Dianthus barbatus	You can often find plants in multi-packs at the garden center.
M	Signet marigold	Tagetes tenufolia	An uncommon variety; easy to start from seed. Look for Lemon Gem.
M	Pincushion flower	Scabiosa columbaria
M	Zinnia	Zinnia	Look for shorter varieties, such as the Profusion series.
M	Borage	Borago officinalis	Very easy to start from seed
M	Bee balm	Monarda fistulosa	Native to many areas of the U.S.
M	Flowering tobacco	Nicotiana alata
M	Salvia	Salvia coccinea	Coral Nymph is lovely and floriferous.
M	Cuphea	Cuphea	Available in 4-inch pots at garden centers; I like Flamenco Samba
M	Blanket flower	Gaillardia pulchella	Native
M	Gomphrena	Gomphrena haageana
M	Pentas	Pentas	Often sold as a houseplant, in 4-inch pots
M	Marguerite daisy	Argyranthemum	Look for it with the annuals, in 6- to 8-inch pots.
M	Gaura, whirling butterflies	Gaura lindheimeri	A perennial that blooms like an annual — almost all summer
T	Four-o-Clocks	Mirabilis jalapa>	An old-fashioned classic
T	Hyssop	Agastache rupestris	Anise-scented foliage
T	Butterfly flower, butterfly weed	Asclepias	Choose a species that's native in your area.
T	Fennel	Foeniculum vulgare
T	Cosmos	Cosmos bipinnatus	Look for shorter, "knee-high" varieties
CL	Cardinal vine	Ipomoea x multifida	Easy to start from seed
CL	Firecracker vine	Ipomoea lobata	Easy to start from seed
CL	Passionflower	Passiflora caeruela	Often sold in larger pots (1 qt. or more)