Protect the bees and butterflies on your balcony

Perhaps you've read the book "The History of Bees" by Maja Lunde - a dystopian vision of the future in a world without bees and then suddenly wondered what you may be able to do to help them. Maybe you just like flowers? You can kill two birds with one stone (not literally) by planting some flowers in balcony flowerpots, which are sure to be a hit with the bees and butterflies!

Bee prepared early on

The bees are already out in at the start of spring in late March / early April if you want to maximise the time you can help the bees out. So make sure to have some flowers that are hardy enough to weather the last bits of cold out early on in the start of the season. Even if there's still a bit of nip in the air, nothing says spring is coming quite like a festive flowerpot on the balcony.

Let them bloom all summer long

The early months of the summer are prime-blooming time for many plants in nature, but the rest of the summer isn't quite as rewarding as one would think for certain types of flowing plants. Fill your balcony flowerpots with things like lavender, pansies and sweet peas, which love the warmer weather and will bloom well during the whole summer.

The balcony that bears fruit

Berry plants and bushels are popular choices among bees (both regular and the bumble bee) and butterflies. It's always great to have some berry plants in larger pots on your balcony or in your garden. Hanging flowerpots that you can put strawberry plants are also a great choice - this way your balcony can soon offer a nutritious summer feast for the bees and your household simultaneously.

A drop of water to quench the thirst

Increasing temperatures and changing weather patterns as a result of climate means things can get quite dry during the summer. Drought isn't only tough for plants; the bees get very thirsty too. Make a small drinking station for honey and bumble bees by placing out some marbles on a tray filled with some water. That way the bees can land safely on the marbles, safely drink and rehydrate with some water without risking drowning.