A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Hummingbird and Butterfly flowers

I am interested in flowers that will attract hummingbirds and butterflies that can be grown in containers.
This is a list of the flowers I am interested in:
Butterfly weed
Cosmos
Foxglove
Hollyhock
Dahlia
Columbine
Fuchsia
Violets
Chrysanthemums
Would any of these florish in large containers?

Hi Becky! Hmmm, I grow mums in containers all the time.....and I grow cosmos and Hollyhocks every year too, but they can get super tall...check out my Hollyhock from last year!


One of my cosmos last year was taller than me and I'm 5'10", and that Hollyhock was taller than me.......foxgloves can get pretty tall too.....

I've never attempted to grow any of those 3 in pots.....I'm not too sure how it would work....I guess you could try it out though...depending on how big of a planter you have some of them might be okay. And the Hollyhocks and cosmos might need staked up.......

Loz, Do you think I would be able to prune them and they would put out some flowers?
I rent and cannot attatch anything to the outside of my apartment and I don't have a fence or anything (other than the side of the building which has siding) that they would be able to climb....

Actually I was thinking.....

Loz,
I'm planning on getting a few feeders too. But I'm also looking for some pretty flowers to put out there.

The flowers I'm really interested in are the Cosmos, Hollyhock and violet.

How big are the plant pots you're going to use Becky? The cosmos may be okay....do NOT give them any fertilizer, or miracle grow or anything...I wouldn't even buy soil that has plant food in it. It makes them grow WAY tall & it takes longer for them to produce flowers. Cosmos are my fav. flower and I grow them every year.

Hollyhocks tend to get really wide and have huge thick stems--when I cut mine down at the end of the year it was like chopping down a small tree! ....I'm still not sure if they would work or not, but hey--it doesn't hurt to try....I've learned so much just from trial and error....

I don't really have a particular pot size in mind...
What size would you suggest?
I'm looking for plants to put on my front and back doorsteps. The front step gets am sun, the back gets pm sun.

Wow, for cosmos or Hollyhocks I'd say the bigger the pot the better...if you do these taller plants you could always get a few mini trellises and put it in the back of the pot to tie them up to it....

Cosmos can take the heat and dry conditions....so put them wherever it is sunniest.

Thanks Loz!


I'll post anymore questions, and I'm sure I'll have many more!

I hear salvia is good for hummers. And if you live near wet marshy soil Jewelweed is INCREDIBLE for attracting hummers.

becky if you PM me your address I'd be MORE than happy to send you a TON of seeds that you could definately use

How about salvia (perennial)? The hummingbirds LOVED mine last year, especially a variety called black and blue, which is gorgeous. They are a shorter plant, and would probably do OK in a container.

Sandy

Thanks Sandy!
I'll look for some.

I do the cosmos in containers.have to watch my soil level& water um more.
mums can grow alot.
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