Helping attract wild birds, butterflies, and other wildlife to patios, balconies, and backyards everywhere
January 22nd, 2008

The Basics of Growing Wildlife-Attracting Container Plants on Your Porch, Patio, Deck, or Balcony

Wildlife Plants

How do you start attracting wild birds, butterflies, and more with container plants?

I've included below the basics of growing plants on balconies, decks, porches, and other small outdoor areas, as well as links to various sites for more information.

Quick Start

Check out the forums on balcony gardening, container gardening, or small-space gardening at GardenWeb.

The Basics

Container gardening involves the plant, the container, the growing medium, location, and maintenance.

The Plant

When deciding the best plant for your situation, take into account

  • Your USDA gardening zone
  • Your space
  • What wildlife you want to attract
  • How easy the plant is to grow and maintain
  • How expensive the plant is to start

The Container

Small, large, boxy, round, mounted, placed -- you have many choices in containers for your plants.

The Growing Medium

Potting soil, peat moss, sphagnum moss, water -- you have many choices here as well. Visit your local nursery center for advice, or ask questions in online forums.

Location

You may want to evaluate your environment before container gardening -- the amount of light received, apartment restrictions, exposure to elements. See the article, "How To Evaluate Your Space to Attract Wildlife: 6 Elements To Consider", for more information.

Maintenance

Will you have to move the plant inside in wintertime? Do you receive enough light indoors to move the plant inside? Will the container be easy to move? Water?

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