Hummingbird Garden Quick Guide

Spring has sprung and every gardener is trying to attract those beautiful hummingbirds to their garden.  Hummingbirds spend much of their time darting from flower to flower in search of nectar and small insects to eat so to attract and keep them in your garden you need to make sure they have something to eat.  'Hummers' drink from any color blossom but seem to prefer brightly colored, tubular flowers. Plan your landscape to provide flowers continuously throughout the growing season for these entertaining nectar sippers!  

 

Some favorite hummingbird plants include:

 Bee Balm                      Monarda spp                      perennial

Begonia                          Begonia spp                      annual

Butterfly Bush                 Buddleia davidii                 perennial

Cardinal Flower               Lobelia cardinalis             perennial

Hibiscus                          Hibiscus spp                     annual

Impatiens                        Impatians spp                   annual

Lantana                           Lantana spp                     annual/perennial

Petunia                           Petunia spp                       annual

Phlox                              Phlox spp                          annual/perennial

Hollyhock                        Althea spp                        shrub 

Salvia                             Salvia spp                         annual/perennial

Trumpet Creeper           Campsis radicans             vine

Trumpet Honeysuckle   Lonicera semipevirens      vine

 

Do:

·       Fill the feeder with a cool mixture of 1 part white sugar dissolved in 4 parts boiling water. Store extra solution in the refrigerator.

·       Clean the feeder regularly - every 3 days or so in hot weather - to prevent mold from growing in the sugar solution.

·      Hang the feeder in March and leave it up until at least October or year-round in southern part of state.

 

Do Not:

·         Do not add red coloring to the sugar solution.

·         Do not use a sugar substitute or honey to make the sugar solution.

·         Do not hang feeder in full sun - the solution will spoil more quickly.

 

Remember - keeping feeders up throughout the winter will not prevent hummingbirds from migrating and but will increase your chances of seeing a rare species of hummingbird!

Bold, Beautiful Containers

      You can provide eye candy to your landscape with bold, beautiful containers that showcase plants with attractive flowers and foliage.

Hot pot!

     Use the guideline “thrillers, spillers, and fillers” when choosing plants.  With thrillers, don’t be afraid to go wild with color. Incorporate bright flowering plants or the large, colorful foliage of plants like coleus or crotons.  Ornamental grasses can also work well.

      Spillers are plants that fall gracefully over the sides of the containers such as brightly colored sweet potato vines.

       And for fillers, consider plants with rounded forms or interesting textures such as caladiums or celosia.

     Select containers to complement the plants, and keep in mind how the containers will be viewed.  Use a high-quality potting media, and match plants with similar moisture, soil, and light requirements. And of course, always leave room for the plants to grow to their full size!