Why a Tiny Courtyard Still Counts

It is easy to assume pollinators need a meadow, or at least a proper garden with a lawn and a hedge. In practice, bees, hoverflies, butterflies and moths navigate by flower, not by acreage. A balcony six floors up or a paved courtyard behind a terraced house can be a genuine refuelling stop, particularly in cities where gardens are fragmented into thousands of small patches. It is the density and variety of flowers that matters, not the size of the space — a well-planted three-metre courtyard can outperform a bare lawn ten times its size.

Small spaces have their own advantage: you can move a pot into the sun, shelter it from wind, and change the planting every year without digging anything up. Treat your courtyard as a collection of microhabitats and you will soon be rewarded.

What Pollinators Actually Need

Three things, in order of importance:

• Nectar and pollen from early spring to the first hard frosts. The June gap, when spring blossom is over and summer flowers have not yet opened, is worth planning for.
• Open, single flowers. Doubles may look lavish but often hide their nectar behind layers of petals.
• Shelter and water — a warm wall, a little untidiness, and a shallow dish of water with pebbles for landing.

Reliable Plants for Pots

These all cope with container life, tolerate a British summer and are genuinely rich in nectar.

• Lavender — the best all-rounder for a sunny, free-draining pot. Clip lightly after flowering, never into old wood.
• Catmint — billowing, forgiving and mobbed by bumblebees. Cut back hard after the first flush for a second show.
• Salvia — long season and drought-tolerant; Salvia nemorosa and 'Hot Lips' both earn their place.
• Oregano and marjoram — let a few stems flower instead of harvesting everything.
• Wallflowers — superb early colour and scent, filling the spring gap.
• Cosmos — airy and self-seeding, loved by butterflies. Stake it on an exposed balcony.
• Helenium and asters — late nectar when little else is left.
• Sedum — flat heads covered in butterflies well into autumn.
• Borage — sow direct in a big pot for constant bee traffic.
• Single-flowered dahlias — avoid the pom-pom types and you get months of nectar from July.

Planting for Every Season

A courtyard that only performs in July is a wasted opportunity. Aim for a rolling sequence.

• February to April: crocus, snowdrops, grape hyacinth, hellebores and wallflowers for queen bumblebees emerging from hibernation.
• May and June: alliums, hardy geraniums, chives and the first lavender. Keep something in flower through the June gap.
• July to September: lavender, catmint, salvia, cosmos, verbena, oregano, borage and single dahlias.
• October to December: helenium, asters, sedum, hardy fuchsia and ivy — a late, unglamorous but vital source of autumn nectar.

If you have room for only four pots, plant one for each of these windows rather than four of the same thing.

Making Containers Work Harder

• Go bigger than you think. A 40–45cm pot holds moisture and stays cooler than a small one. Grouping pots shades the compost and creates a humid microclimate.
• Use peat-free, soil-based compost with added grit or perlite. Pure multipurpose dries out too fast in a sun trap.
• Raise pots onto feet so water escapes rather than pooling. Terracotta breathes; glazed or plastic holds moisture, which helps in an exposed, windy spot.
• Feed sensibly. A high-potash tomato feed from midsummer encourages more flowers, but never let plants wilt — stressed flowers stop producing nectar.
• Deadhead regularly to keep the show going, but leave a few seedheads for birds and next year's seedlings.

Shelter, Water and a Little Untidiness

Flowers alone will not build a pollinator garden. A south- or west-facing wall is a suntrap bees use to warm up in the morning, and a climber such as honeysuckle or jasmine gives them somewhere to rest and nest. Leave a patch of bare soil or gravel for ground-nesting solitary bees, and resist clearing every stem in autumn — hollow stems are winter bedrooms for small insects.

Add a shallow saucer of water with a few stones, refreshed every couple of days. Put the pesticides away: even a single spray can undo a season's work, and in a small space the effect is concentrated. Handpick, encourage ladybirds, and accept that a few aphids are part of the bargain.

Start with one generous pot of lavender by the door and build from there. Your courtyard does not need to be large to be busy.