"Mommy, come see! There are fairies in the garden!"
And so they might have been to the eyes of a five year old who
grew up on tales of pixies, elves and fairies. The magical
visitor this time, though, was a ruby-throated hummingbird.
Hummingbirds have a unique ability to hover in one place by
rapidly fluttering their tiny wings which may truly have made
them the 'fairies' that many people saw hovering around
brightly colored flowers.
It's not difficult to create a garden that will attract
hummingbirds, but if you'd like to build a habitat in which
they will happily nest and live throughout the northern summer,
you need to provide them with more than a sugar-water feeder and
a plant or two. An active hummingbird garden doesn't need to be
large, but it will have all of the following key ingredients to
attract and keep the attention of nature's fairies.
Choose nectar producing plants that bloom at different times
throughout the spring, summer and autumn.
Flowers are, of course, the key ingredient in attracting
hummingbirds to your garden. The tiny birds feed on nectar that
is produced by flowers, and seem particularly attracted to
plants with trumpet or tubular bright red and orange flowers.
Among their particular favorites, though, are rhododendrons,
azaleas and rose of Sharon bushes, so the red trumpet isn't a
hard and fast rule. For northern gardens that attract the
ruby-throated hummingbird, choose from the list of plants
below, making sure that you choose plants that flower at
different times during the blooming season to provide food for
them throughout the spring, summer and fall.
Spring Bloomers
Azaleas, rhododendrons and rose of Sharon bushes make a great
'background' for hummingbird gardens. They bloom early in the
spring and continue blooming through the early summer. Pink and
bright red varieties are favored, but hummingbirds love ALL rose
of Sharon varieties.
Summer Bloomers
Bleeding hearts and red mountain columbine bloom in the early
summer, as do petunias, morning glories, trumpet vines, trumpet
honeysuckle, and impatiens, all of which attract hummingbirds.
An expanse of shade-dappled impatiens is a powerful attraction
for hummingbirds, who are 'sight' hunters, finding their
feeding grounds by sight.
Autumn Bloomers
Butterfly bush, day lilies, garden phlox, bee-balm and
impatiens all will keep hummingbirds returning through the
autumn and attract late migrators.
Provide a source of water in the hummingbird garden.
Unlike larger birds, hummingbirds will seldom take advantage of
a bird bath or bowl of water. Instead, they relish cool mists. A
garden hose with a misting attachment or a small fountain that
can be adjusted to a fine mist will keep them happy.
Create vertical space for hummingbirds to perch and nest in
your garden.
Hummingbirds need shelter from predators and small branches for
perching and resting (yes, yes, they do perch sometimes!). By
choosing a few taller bushes or trees, you can provide both.
A few strategically placed hummingbird feeders will offer an
easy treat in your hummingbird garden.
There are dozens of commercially designed hummingbird feeders
designed to be attractive to the little wanderers. Choose
feeders with bright red accents, and a capacity for about 8
ounces of sugar water. Rather than using one large feeder,
place 2-4 of them around your garden, out of sight of each
other if possible. Hummingbirds are notoriously territorial. By
providing several 'private' feeding stations, you'll increase
the number of hummingbirds that you attract.
About The Author: This article courtesy of
www.garden-furniture-guide.com
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