The Hummingbird Garden
Hummingbirds are fascinating creatures with superb aeronautic skills; capable of
flying forwards, backwards and for brief moments upside down. As they dart
about, their multi- colored feathers seem to produce a blurred kaleidoscope. They
zoom around at 60 miles an hour and then just pause, hover, look at you and again
they’re off. When you add plants that Hummingbirds love to your garden, you
invite these entertaining guests into your world.
It is very easy to set up a Hummingbird garden as long as you provide them with
food, water and a place to rest.
To create the right atmosphere, you need to understand a bit about the needs of
these wonderful creatures. They use a lot of energy. Their wings flap at 80 beats
per second during regular flight and over 200 beats per second during courtship.
(We all show off when we’re dating). To maintain this energy level they need to
consume a remarkable 12,000 calories a day. (Compared to the average Human
intake of 2,500 calories). Obviously they need a rich sugar source to fuel
themselves. The first choice would be natural nectar from a wide variety of
flowers. Hummingbirds, like most birds, do not have a sense of smell; they rely on
their sight to choose brightly colored flowers. They love the nectar of red flowers
but will choose other color variations such as pink, lavender or orange. They also
prefer bell shaped blossoms which allow them to use their lengthy beaks and long
tongues to lap up the nectar. Plants such as Red Hot Poker, Trumpet Vines,
Honeysuckles, Snapdragons, Fuchsias and Petunias are particularly good bets.
Although they feed every 10 minutes, Hummingbirds actually spent 80 per cent of
their time perching which is why they need trees and shrubs to rest in. Both the
Butterfly bush or a Silk oak tree will not only provide tasty blooms and a perch,
but also a place for them to nest. (Not many people are fortunate to locate their
nests as they only measure 1 1/2 inches in diameter.) In addition to nectar,
Hummers devour a huge amount of insects. This is particularly important when a
Hummingbird is in its nesting phase, as its diet requires an increase of protein in
the form of insects. It is important that you do not use pesticides or other harmful chemicals in your
garden as this could harm or kill your Hummingbirds. Let them do all the work. Hummers work hard at consuming insects by snatching them out of the air or stealing them from spider webs.
Building a Hummingbird Garden
You need to have continuous blooms from early spring to late fall. This will be
easily achieved if you have a mixture of annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs. The
annuals will bloom throughout the summer into fall. Choose perennials with
different blooming times. The more variety you have in your garden, the greater
the attraction to the Hummingbirds.
Tips: 1. Plant en masse. A large grouping of one type of plant will do more to
attract the Hummer’s attention than a single plant.
2. Refrain from one big sea of color. Design banks or islands of flowers to
make it easier for the birds to see all the different kinds of food available. Don’t
forget to plant the lower blossoms in front or around the edges and then work your
way up to the taller plants in the middle or back of the border. This creates a
visually stimulating environment for both you and the Hummers.
3. Make pathways for you to walk through, or so you can work on the
garden and provide friendly open spaces for them to fly across.
4. Place a seat or a bench for you to watch your new friends. They will soon
adapt to your presence.
5. If you are limited for space try planting Hummingbird attracting plants in
your pots and Hanging Baskets.
What Plants are good choices:
Perennials Annuals
Ajuga
Alstroemeria
Bee Balm (Monarda) Begonias
Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra) Cleome
Cannas Cigar plant (Cuphea ignea)
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) Dahlia
Columbine (Aquilegia) Four-o-clocks (Mirabilis)
Coral Bells (Heuchera) Gladiolus
Delphiniums Impatiens
Foxglove (Digitalis) Monkey Flower (Mimulus)
Fuchsia Morning Glory (Impomea)
Hollyhocks Nasturtiums
Hostas Martha Washington Geranium
Lavender Nicotiana
Hibiscus Petunia
Lily (Hemerocallis) Snapdragons
Lupines Sweet Williams
Obedient plant (Physostegia)
Montbretia (Crocosmia)
Penstemon Trees and Shrubs
Phlox Abelia grandiflora
Red Iris Azalea
Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia) Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
Salvias Flowering Quince
Vines Red-Flowering Currant (Ribes)
Honeysuckle (Lonicera) Rhododendron
Scarlet Runner Beans Silk Oak Tree
Trumpet Vines (Campsis) Weigela
Lilacs
Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
The blossoms provide the nectar, the trees and shrubs provide places to perch and
nest and the next step is a water source. You can have a pond, a stream, a birdbath
that is shallow (made by placing stones to adjust the depth) or even a mister or
sprinkler. Hummingbirds usually drink from water on leaves or flowers. They
need the other water sources for bathing. Yes they love to take baths. They race
back and forth through a sprinkler to get a quick shower or they’ll perch on a stem
of a pond plant and flutter their wings in the water. They love it. And you want to
make your garden guests happy...right?
Tips for Hummingbird Feeders
At first you may need to use a commercial feeder to start the Hummers coming to
your garden. Make sure that you have more than one feeder as Hummingbirds are
territorial and will fight over one feeder. If you space a few of them in different
locations, you will be inclined to attract more than one Hummer.
Things to remember about a commercial feeder: Obviously one with a red
mouthpiece is the best but a perch is also desirable for viewing . Try to avoid the
feeders which have the yellow center as this attract bees. Use a formula of sugar
and water. You can boil a mixture that is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Boil the
mixture for 2 minutes. Let the mixture cool. Make sure the feeder is clean each
time you use it. Using a bottle bush will get those crusty icky bits off which if not
taken off can form a mold that is fatal to your Hummer. Fill the feeder and put the
extra in the refrigerator. Place the feeder in the shade to prevent bacterial growth
that can occur when sugar is left in the sun. Every two to three days you must
clean the feeder and replace the mixture. If the sugar is allowed to ferment it will
poison the little guy.
Note: Never ever use honey. This form of sugar can produce a mold that is deadly
to Hummers. Never use a sugar substitute because it has no nutritional value and
the bird will starve nor use red dye as it proves toxic. The only red you need is on
the feeder. The only formula is water and sugar.
If you don’t have the time or patience to maintain the nectar replacement and
cleaning regime that feeders require, use just plants instead.
Other interesting facts about Hummingbirds:
A ruby-throated hummingbird weighs about 3 grams
A hummingbird’s heart beats 1,260 times per minutes
The rufous Hummingbird flies from Alaska 3000 miles to winter in Mexico
A resting Hummingbird takes 250 breaths per minute
An average Hummingbird eats half its weight in sugar each day.
Once your garden is set up you can enjoy the show. They are probably one of the
most interesting guests you’ll have all summer.
Hummingbirds are fascinating creatures with superb aeronautic skills; capable of
flying forwards, backwards and for brief moments upside down. As they dart
about, their multi- colored feathers seem to produce a blurred kaleidoscope. They
zoom around at 60 miles an hour and then just pause, hover, look at you and again
they’re off. When you add plants that Hummingbirds love to your garden, you
invite these entertaining guests into your world.
It is very easy to set up a Hummingbird garden as long as you provide them with
food, water and a place to rest.
To create the right atmosphere, you need to understand a bit about the needs of
these wonderful creatures. They use a lot of energy. Their wings flap at 80 beats
per second during regular flight and over 200 beats per second during courtship.
(We all show off when we’re dating). To maintain this energy level they need to
consume a remarkable 12,000 calories a day. (Compared to the average Human
intake of 2,500 calories). Obviously they need a rich sugar source to fuel
themselves. The first choice would be natural nectar from a wide variety of
flowers. Hummingbirds, like most birds, do not have a sense of smell; they rely on
their sight to choose brightly colored flowers. They love the nectar of red flowers
but will choose other color variations such as pink, lavender or orange. They also
prefer bell shaped blossoms which allow them to use their lengthy beaks and long
tongues to lap up the nectar. Plants such as Red Hot Poker, Trumpet Vines,
Honeysuckles, Snapdragons, Fuchsias and Petunias are particularly good bets.
Although they feed every 10 minutes, Hummingbirds actually spent 80 per cent of
their time perching which is why they need trees and shrubs to rest in. Both the
Butterfly bush or a Silk oak tree will not only provide tasty blooms and a perch,
but also a place for them to nest. (Not many people are fortunate to locate their
nests as they only measure 1 1/2 inches in diameter.) In addition to nectar,
Hummers devour a huge amount of insects. This is particularly important when a
Hummingbird is in its nesting phase, as its diet requires an increase of protein in
the form of insects. It is important that you do not use pesticides or other harmful chemicals in your
garden as this could harm or kill your Hummingbirds. Let them do all the work. Hummers work hard at consuming insects by snatching them out of the air or stealing them from spider webs.
Building a Hummingbird Garden
You need to have continuous blooms from early spring to late fall. This will be
easily achieved if you have a mixture of annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs. The
annuals will bloom throughout the summer into fall. Choose perennials with
different blooming times. The more variety you have in your garden, the greater
the attraction to the Hummingbirds.
Tips: 1. Plant en masse. A large grouping of one type of plant will do more to
attract the Hummer’s attention than a single plant.
2. Refrain from one big sea of color. Design banks or islands of flowers to
make it easier for the birds to see all the different kinds of food available. Don’t
forget to plant the lower blossoms in front or around the edges and then work your
way up to the taller plants in the middle or back of the border. This creates a
visually stimulating environment for both you and the Hummers.
3. Make pathways for you to walk through, or so you can work on the
garden and provide friendly open spaces for them to fly across.
4. Place a seat or a bench for you to watch your new friends. They will soon
adapt to your presence.
5. If you are limited for space try planting Hummingbird attracting plants in
your pots and Hanging Baskets.
What Plants are good choices:
Perennials Annuals
Ajuga
Alstroemeria
Bee Balm (Monarda) Begonias
Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra) Cleome
Cannas Cigar plant (Cuphea ignea)
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) Dahlia
Columbine (Aquilegia) Four-o-clocks (Mirabilis)
Coral Bells (Heuchera) Gladiolus
Delphiniums Impatiens
Foxglove (Digitalis) Monkey Flower (Mimulus)
Fuchsia Morning Glory (Impomea)
Hollyhocks Nasturtiums
Hostas Martha Washington Geranium
Lavender Nicotiana
Hibiscus Petunia
Lily (Hemerocallis) Snapdragons
Lupines Sweet Williams
Obedient plant (Physostegia)
Montbretia (Crocosmia)
Penstemon Trees and Shrubs
Phlox Abelia grandiflora
Red Iris Azalea
Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia) Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
Salvias Flowering Quince
Vines Red-Flowering Currant (Ribes)
Honeysuckle (Lonicera) Rhododendron
Scarlet Runner Beans Silk Oak Tree
Trumpet Vines (Campsis) Weigela
Lilacs
Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
The blossoms provide the nectar, the trees and shrubs provide places to perch and
nest and the next step is a water source. You can have a pond, a stream, a birdbath
that is shallow (made by placing stones to adjust the depth) or even a mister or
sprinkler. Hummingbirds usually drink from water on leaves or flowers. They
need the other water sources for bathing. Yes they love to take baths. They race
back and forth through a sprinkler to get a quick shower or they’ll perch on a stem
of a pond plant and flutter their wings in the water. They love it. And you want to
make your garden guests happy...right?
Tips for Hummingbird Feeders
At first you may need to use a commercial feeder to start the Hummers coming to
your garden. Make sure that you have more than one feeder as Hummingbirds are
territorial and will fight over one feeder. If you space a few of them in different
locations, you will be inclined to attract more than one Hummer.
Things to remember about a commercial feeder: Obviously one with a red
mouthpiece is the best but a perch is also desirable for viewing . Try to avoid the
feeders which have the yellow center as this attract bees. Use a formula of sugar
and water. You can boil a mixture that is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Boil the
mixture for 2 minutes. Let the mixture cool. Make sure the feeder is clean each
time you use it. Using a bottle bush will get those crusty icky bits off which if not
taken off can form a mold that is fatal to your Hummer. Fill the feeder and put the
extra in the refrigerator. Place the feeder in the shade to prevent bacterial growth
that can occur when sugar is left in the sun. Every two to three days you must
clean the feeder and replace the mixture. If the sugar is allowed to ferment it will
poison the little guy.
Note: Never ever use honey. This form of sugar can produce a mold that is deadly
to Hummers. Never use a sugar substitute because it has no nutritional value and
the bird will starve nor use red dye as it proves toxic. The only red you need is on
the feeder. The only formula is water and sugar.
If you don’t have the time or patience to maintain the nectar replacement and
cleaning regime that feeders require, use just plants instead.
Other interesting facts about Hummingbirds:
A ruby-throated hummingbird weighs about 3 grams
A hummingbird’s heart beats 1,260 times per minutes
The rufous Hummingbird flies from Alaska 3000 miles to winter in Mexico
A resting Hummingbird takes 250 breaths per minute
An average Hummingbird eats half its weight in sugar each day.
Once your garden is set up you can enjoy the show. They are probably one of the
most interesting guests you’ll have all summer.
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