The Low-Cost IKEA Find That Can Turn Even The Smallest Of Yards Into A Pollinator Haven

Typically, when we think of container gardening, we picture lots of pots on the ground, but for some gardeners, floor space is at a premium. That's when you really have to get creative. Creating the vertical garden of your dreams doesn't have to be hard or expensive. Rather than building elaborate wall-hung planter solutions, turn to an inexpensive IKEA find. Priced at $12.99, the CHILISTRÅN hanging planter is an affordable and attractive solution to a tricky space problem.

Designed for both indoor and outdoor use, there's one thing that makes the CHILISTRÅN stand out from the competition: It can be linked together to form a vertical chain of pots. This feature lets space-challenged gardeners maximize their area to stuff these pots with pollinator-friendly plants and bring butterflies, birds, and bees to their gardens. With a 4.8-star rating on IKEA's website, this pot is clearly a crowd-pleaser. The space-saving design and sleek, modern looks — it's available in both black and white — often get shoutouts from reviewers. 

However, there are a couple of things that gardeners should keep in mind. At just 4 ¾ inches in diameter, these pots are on the small side, so you will need to plan your planting accordingly. Additionally, there are no drainage holes. You will either need to find an easy way to add drainage holes to your pots or use it as a cachepot and insert a more utilitarian pot inside of it.

When designing containers, we usually think about adding spillers, thrillers, and fillers, but in this case it's wiser to concentrate on one plant per pot. Finding easy to maintain plants that can handle life in a small pot while still attracting pollinators will be key. Consider heat-tolerant trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis), which can withstand drying out a bit, and is often grown in containers because of its potential for becoming invasive in frost-free areas. Birds, bees, and butterflies will all be attracted to this plant.

To make your hanging baskets irresistible to hummingbirds, try growing a type of bush violet (Browallia viscosa). The 'Endless Illumination' browallia is drought-tolerant, making it well-suited to containers, which tend to dry out quickly. They can also be toxic to pets, so be sure to keep them out of reach of your furry friends. Throw in some of the 'Mojave Yellow Purslane' (Portulaca umbraticola), which has large yellow blooms that bees and butterflies will love. Better yet, this plant is a succulent and will tolerate heat and drought.

These are just a few suggestions for pollinator-friendly plants that can thrive in containers, but there are many options that will fit any conditions you have. The important thing to remember is that container-grown plants will need more watering and feeding as the soil dries out and loses nutrients quickly. With small containers, you should be even more vigilant, but choosing the right plants can help cut down on the work.