Hummingbird Gardens

I was reminded again recently about how many people enjoy having hummingbirds in their garden. A friend was talking about how she wanted a specific plant to put by the feeder just so that she could attract these beautiful birds and enjoy watching them.  Attracting hummingbirds is relatively easy to do with certain plants and a few garden basics.      Hummingbirds are attracted to brightly colored blooms and are especially fond of tubular shapes which allow them to stick their beaks inside.  Red is a …

Plants that attract Hummingbirds

While Hummingbirds are attracted to red, they will feed from any color flower that has nectar. Annuals and perennials, vines, shrubs, trees, bedding plants and hanging plants: you can choose from all these categories in selecting flowers for attracting hummingbirds. Since there is such a dizzying array of plants that will help you achieve your goal, I have listed the flowers, shrubs and vines that are commonly used to attract hummers. Flowers Bee Balm Digitalis Cardinal Flower Delphinium Lantana Columbineh Coral …

Make Your Own Hummingbird Nectar!

A couple things to remember when making your own hummingbird nectar… Never use honey or artificial sweeteners! Honey ferments easily, and can cause sores in a hummers mouth. Artificial sweeteners have no food value. Do not use red food coloring in your solution, as this could be harmful to your hummers. Most feeders have red on them and that should be enough Hummingbird Nectar Recipe: Mix 4 parts water to 1 part white table sugar Bring water to a boil. …

Tax time and hummingbirds go together!

In Michigan, April 15th is not only tax day but it is also the time to put out our hummingbird feeders. Although the hummingbirds we see in April will probably continue on their way up north, putting out feeders will help feed them on their way.  The hummingbirds that choose to nest in our area usually arrive around Mother’s Day. Being ready for these flying jewels is essential to keeping them coming back. Since there are not a lot of flowers …

Attract Butterflies and Hummingbirds with Columbine!

With beautiful bell-shaped flowers, Columbine is an excellent garden perennial with many colorful hybrid varieties to choose from. Its distinctive, bell-shaped, spurred flowers, bloom from mid-spring to early summer. Columbine self-seeds prolifically giving you many volunteer seedlings. With a wide choice of hybrid varieties, colors range from light pastels to bright yellow, red, orange and purple selections. The plant’s foliage has an attractive lacy appearance. Intricate little flowers, they are most commonly a combination of red, peach, and yellow but …