A Guide to Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Yard
If you're looking to attract hummingbirds to your yard, you've come to the right place! Let's check out some tips and tricks to create a hummingbird haven, featuring my personal favourite, the honeysuckle.
1. Plant the Right Flowers
Hummingbirds are attracted to brightly coloured flowers, particularly those in shades of red, pink, and orange. These vibrant colours signal to the hummingbirds that there’s nectar to be had. Here are some top choices:
Honeysuckle: This is my personal favourite. Its tubular flowers are perfect for hummingbirds’ long beaks, and it produces a lot of nectar.
Bee Balm: Another great option, with its bright red, pink, purple, or white flowers that attract hummingbirds like a magnet.
Trumpet Vine: As the name suggests, this plant has trumpet-shaped flowers that hummingbirds love.
Salvia: With its long blooming season and vibrant colours, salvia is a fantastic addition to any hummingbird garden.
Fuchsia: Perfect for hanging baskets, fuchsias offer abundant nectar and come in striking colours.
Butterfly Bush: This plant not only attracts hummingbirds but also butterflies. Its cone-shaped clusters of flowers are rich in nectar and come in various vibrant colors.
Columbine: Known for its distinctive spurred flowers, columbine is a hummingbird favorite. It blooms in spring and comes in many colors, including red, which is particularly attractive to hummingbirds.
2. Diversity is Important
A hummingbird garden featuring a wide variety of suitable flowers is more attractive and provides food throughout spring, summer, and fall.
3.Plant in Clusters
Planting flowers in clusters rather than spreading them out can make it easier for hummingbirds to find them. Group several of the same type of plant together to create a more substantial, attractive target.
4. Provide a Water Source
Hummingbirds love water, especially moving water. Consider adding a birdbath with a fountain feature or a mister. They enjoy the spray and will often fly through it to cool off and bathe.
5. Offer Feeders
In addition to flowers, feeders can be an excellent way to attract hummingbirds. Here’s how to set up a feeder that will keep them coming back:
Choose the Right Feeder: Opt for a red feeder, as the colour will attract the birds. Make sure it has multiple feeding ports and is easy to clean.
Prepare the Nectar: Mix 1 part white sugar with 4 parts water. Boil the solution to dissolve the sugar, then let it cool before filling the feeder. Avoid using honey, artificial sweeteners, or red dye.
Clean Regularly: Clean the feeder at least once a week (more often in hot weather) to prevent mold and fermentation, which can harm the birds.
6. Avoid Pesticides
Hummingbirds feed on insects as well as nectar, so it's important to maintain a pesticide-free garden. Insects provide a crucial source of protein for these little birds.
My Favourite: Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle is very easy to grow and it’s a fantastic choice for attracting hummingbirds. We often have as many as 4-5 hummingbirds hovering at our honeysuckle at once. Its tubular flowers are a perfect match for the hummingbirds' beaks, and they can easily sip the nectar from deep within the blooms. Honeysuckle comes in various colours, including red, orange, yellow, and white, all of which are appealing to hummingbirds.
To grow honeysuckle:
Choose a sunny spot: Honeysuckle thrives in full sun but can tolerate partial shade.
Provide support: It’s a climbing plant, so give it a trellis, fence, or arbor to grow on.
Water regularly: Keep the soil moist, especially during the first year as the plant establishes itself.
Prune annually: Pruning helps to encourage new growth and more flowers.
By incorporating honeysuckle and other hummingbird-friendly plants, providing water sources, and maintaining feeders, you can create a delightful sanctuary for these beautiful birds. Watching them dart around your garden, you’ll find that the effort is well worth the reward.
So grab your gardening gloves, pick out some vibrant flowers, and get ready to enjoy all the hummingbirds you’ll soon have visiting in your yard!
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