Susan's Hummingbird Gardens

Posts Tagged ‘hummingbird garden’

Deer invading hummingbird gardens (courtesy of: ktkoonin at href="http://www.flickr.com/ photos/koonin/2815606778)

Today’s guest author offers some really great solutions to keeping deer out of hummingbird gardens.

Also included is a list of deer-resistant hummingbird plants… how’s that for practical?

Planning a Deer Resistant Garden
There is no such thing as a deer-proof plant, since in very bad weather deer will devour almost anything. Even throughout the year when food is plentiful, they will nibble on anything, including some of the common deer-resistant plants. There are, however, plants that are commonly believed to be deer-resistant. Deer-resistant plants are considered those that are only rarely munched on, but never devoured.

Cute as they are, it takes only one instance of finding your favorite plants munched to the ground to change your mind about having these pesky and persistent animals around your yard. Even suburban homes are susceptible to deer invasions, and suburban deer are more used to humans so even bolder than their rural cousins. Read the rest of this entry »

Black-chinned hummingbird

Auntie and I were gossiping and sipping tea in her hummingbird garden. How I loved her English style garden… almost as much as I loved my Auntie Elizabeth!

I don’t know exactly how it started – our companioning. More than likely it was during my visits while a toddler. Among my first memories are of sitting on her lap, blowing dandelion tufts into the breeze.

As I smiled with the memory, she whispered, “Do you hear him? He’s behind me somewhere.”

Looking past her, maybe two feet, was her friend, The Deacon. “Yes, Auntie. He’s just behind you, working his way along the honeysuckle trellis. In just a second, he’ll be along side you. Ok, you should be able to see him now. Why do you call him The Deacon?” Read the rest of this entry »

Hummingbirds love syrupy petunias

Why Do Hummingbirds Chose Petunias And Not Roses?

Why in the world would a hummingbird pass up a heavenly scented rose in favor of a rather non-event petunia! 

Well, you could say the little guy is too busy staying alive to “smell the roses” along the way. But actually, it’s because hummingbirds aren’t drawn to fragrance. What attracts them are color and nectar. 

This is a key element to remember when creating landscape gardens for hummingbirds. Fortunately, there are at least 150 North American flowering plants that attract hummingbirds to your garden… without relying on fragrance. Read the rest of this entry »

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! Read the rest of this entry »

Snapdragons are perfect patio plants for attracting hummingbirds.

What makes a successful hummingbird garden? How do you do it? Follow the five easy steps in this Hummingbird Garden Blueprint, that’s how.

In a nutshell, you create a hummers’ “paradise”. Surround them with tubular, funnel-shaped flowers; offer them rainbow making misters and dewdrop filled leaf baths; provide nesting sites fit for an uncomplaining feather fluff diva; and, of course, include dessert bars… tongue tingling feeders. Lastly, supply extra nectar in the spring to welcome them home, and to “fatten” them up for their fall migration.

Just follow this simple blueprint, and you’ll have hummers visiting and living in your new hummingbird garden landscape. Read the rest of this entry »