Susan's Hummingbird Gardens

Select plants that appeal to you as well as to those little hummers

Designing Small Hummingbird Gardens

Are you a “couch potato” gardener?

Wait… no offense intended! I am, too. It’s just an expression describing those of us who enjoy flowers and birds and butterflies, but don’t enjoy having to traipse through the garden looking for them.

Actually, my husband is more precise… he calls me a “garden potato”. He must love me, though… he rewards my “potato-ness” by placing potted plants close to the patio and porch.

Actually, we both relax every day watching our treasured hummingbirds feed and squabble and play. Only when you’re close to them can you appreciate how anatomically marvelous they are. And, container and patio gardening is the answer for the easy-does-it gardener!

A Hummingbird Garden Easy-Does-It Action Plan…

After a bit of experimenting, here is the seven step method my husband came up with.

(1) Research plants in our hardiness zone that attract hummingbirds, and that we would enjoy, too. (2) Develop a design for container planting on and near the patio and porch… including, misters spraying into bird baths and into shrubs. (3) Research prices on the internet and in local stores. (4) Purchase plants and containers and misters. (5) Connect misters, and plant and water everything. (6) Tidy up the area. (7) Relax with an ice cold lemonade (I added this last one).

At first, we didn’t notice much activity. Then we reasoned, why not try to lure our tiny “regulars” over to the new plants. By this time, it was noon. So, while I fixed us some lunch, my husband moved the feeders closer to his new container plantings and misters.

The Rewards of Landscaping for Hummingbirds…

Sure enough, while relaxing on the patio late that afternoon, they showed up!

Normally, our hummers would queue up mid-air until they managed a turn at the feeders. Now, they noticed all the new flowering plants and started investigating.

They darted excitedly from one blossom to the next. One little fellow found one of the misters and flew right through it and went straight up in the air and told the world all about his new discoveries… but then zoomed back down to the feeders before it all went away!

Almost as enjoyable, were my husband’s remarks… “Look how funny and brave they are! They usually fly away while I’m working in the garden, but now look at them. As long as we sit quietly, they stay close by.”

Looking at me, he grinned and said, “You ‘garden potatoes’ are onto something here. I could get used to this!”