I want to start some potted plants that will attract bees and butterflies.

Thanks!

Welcome @Elysianne

Would you like to share more information about the types of plants you wish to grow? Perennials, annuals, herbs? It may help our members provide some more specific sources for you.

Hello, Linda!

Well, I want to draw more bees to my garden. I have mostly wasps. I seldom see a bee. Some of the plants suggested to draw bees and that would grow in pots as well as in the ground were:

---mountain mint,
---catnip,
---basil,
---anise hyssop,
---oregano,
---sage,
---verbena,
---cosmos, and
---sweet clover

I also heard bee balm is good.

Great selection, service, turnaround time.

https://victoryseeds.com/pages...
Victory Seed Company

I love this place for flowers, their give a decent seeds quantity, good prices and free shipping.
https://cheapseeds.com/

I have not grown anything from seed since I was a tiny child. I recall having a little soil in a jar and adding seed to it and keeping it watered. Lid on the jar had holes punched it for air. It acted like a mini terrarium. I must have been 4-5 years old. Did it just for the fun of watching the seeds sprout and grow.

I am sure this will sound like a silly question to those of you who grow from seed all of the time, but how would I grow the plants from seed? Just put the seed in tiny terracotta pots and make sure they do not dry out? That was my plan at least.

There is a plethora of places to learn how to grow from seed. Surprisingly, this site does not have generalized article!

Most people put put their pots inside a closed clear bag to hold in moisture until the seeds begin to germinate, whether the pots are for individual plants or communal, to be replanted in separate pots later.

If you have specific seeds to learn about, one can often find easy youtube videos, but be wary for general advice since seeds can vary SO SO SO much in their requirements.

For general advice, maybe look at these, or similar:
https://extension.uga.edu/publ...
https://phsonline.org/for-gard...

Thank you, Nick! I will give it a go next Spring once it really warms up a lot outside.

I would not attempt to start anything inside whilst it is still cold outside. For the first time ever (that I can remember), I have an electric furnace which I discovered costs a fortune to operate compared to a gas furnace.

I kept the thermostat set to 59 all Winter last Winter and froze inside. Kept a space heater going under my desk in my study which is where I spent most of the days and nights, and my electric bill was still outrageously high. I am already trying to think about what I can do this Winter to stay warmer in here.