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Create a Hummingbird Garden Habitat
by Kathy Burns-Millyard
Description: How to create a garden to attract hummingbirds.
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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 Plants that Attract Hummingbirds
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 they seem particularly attracted to plants with trumpet
or tubular bright red and orange flowers. Favorites include
rhododendrons, azaleas and rose of Sharon bushes. For northern gardens
that attract the ruby-throated hummingbird, 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.
Autumn Bloomers - Butterfly bush, day lilies, garden phlox, bee-balm
and impatiens all will keep hummingbirds returning through the autumn.
These blooms will also attract late migrators too.
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 Perching and Nesting Space in your Garden
Hummingbirds need shelter from predators, plus small branches for
perching and resting (yes, they do perch sometimes!). By choosing a
few taller bushes or trees, you can provide both.
Several Strategically Placed Hummingbird Feeders
There are dozens of commercial 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. Instead of
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.
Related information and resources from this article can be found at:
http://www.garden-source.com/archives/2005/06/28/a-garden-to-attract-hummingbirds/
This article is brought to you by
The Bird House Shop Section of The Garden Source Network -
http://birdhouses.garden-source.com.
