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Make a Hummingbird Heaven in Your Yard
Hummingbirds are such amazing creatures, with their exquisite jewel-like colors and swift darting flight. When we see them, we are irresistibly reminded of fairies, and their presence in our yards always seems like a kind of blessing. And it turns out to be easier to attract them than you think.
Here is a listing of some of the hummingbird’s favorite flowers and shrubs, plus a description of an easy-to-make hummingbird feeder that really works. Find out how to make your yard a hummingbird heaven, right here:
Some favored cultivated flowers and flowering trees and shrubs:
Acacia, apple, crabapple, azalea, begonia, bird of paradise, bleeding heart, blood-red trumpet vine, bougainvillea, camellia, catnip, Chinese lantern, columbine, crape myrtle, dahlia, daylily, delphinium, eucalyptus, evening primrose, flame vine, foxglove, fuchsia, geranium, gladiolus, globe thistle, ground ivy, hibiscus, hollyhock, honeysuckle, hosta, hummingbird bush, impatiens, iris, jasmine, lavender, lilac, lily, lobelia, lupine, mint, morning glory, nasturtium, periwinkle, petunia, phlox, pink, primrose, rhododendron, rose of Sharon, sage, snapdragon, sweet William, verbena, weigela, wisteria, zinnia.
Some favored wildflowers:
Bee balm, wild bergamot, bluebells, bluebonnet, bouncing bet, scarlet Bavaria, butterfly weed, columbine, currant, desert bell, figwort, firecracker flower, fireweed, honeysuckle, jewelweed, black locust, mountain laurel, paintbrush, penstemon, redbud, snowberry, Solomon’s seal, thistle, trumpet flower, wallflower, wood betony.
An easy hummingbird feeder:
A small glass bottle with a rubber stopper that fits snugly into the bottle’s mouth; a narrow curved glass tube that is placed in a hole in the center of the rubber stopper; a red plastic tip with a small hole in the center of it that covers the end of the plastic tube.
Fill this feeder with:
Sugar-water solution
Four parts water to 1 part granulated sugar. Boil the mixture for a couple of minutes to dissolve the sugar and destroy harmful microorganisms. (Add a little extra water to your solution so it doesn’t get too concentrated in boiling. Too-sweet solution is harmful to hummingbirds.)
Excess solution may be safely stored in the refrigerator for about a week.
AVOID honey, artificial sweeteners, or any food coloring in your sugar-water. And please be sure to clean and refill your feeders at least once a week, and more often if feeders are placed in direct sunlight– to prevent the growth of molds and bacteria which could be fatal to your hummingbirds.
Hang the feeders among the plants or trees in your yard.
Adapted from The Hummingbird Garden, by Matthew Tekulsky (Harvard Common Press, 1990).
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The Hummingbird Garden
Turning your garden, window box, or backyard into a beautiful home for hummingbirds.buy nowrelated stories
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27 comments
add your comment »I have a problem with bees (yellow jackets and red wasps) in my feeders. Does anyone have any sugestions as to how to deter the bees. The hummers won't come anywhere near as long as the feeders are covered w/bees (I don't really blame them.)
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At the begining of the season we had a pair of breadind hummers. several weeks ago my Mom noticed a little male. He is colored just like the larger male but is smaller and his beak is much shorter. It is so amazing to see the miracle of life right in your own back yard.
Our feeders are on the back deck, so we can enjoy them from the kitchen table. At lest count there were about 7 or 8 hummers zoomig around the feeders and playing in the back yard. They are so funny to watch.
Has anyone noticed that if you wear red outside, that they will come right up to you to chech you out, trying to make sure that you are not a flower?
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At the begining of the season we had a pair of breadind hummers. several weeks ago my Mom noticed a little male. He is colored just like the larger male but is smaller and his beak is much shorter. It is so amazing to see the miracle of life right in your own back yard.
Our feeders are on the back deck, so we can enjoy them from the kitchen table. At lest count there were about 7 or 8 hummers zoomig around the feeders and playing in the back yard. They are so funny to watch.
Has anyone noticed that if you wear red outside, that they will come right up to you to chech you out, trying to make sure that you are not a flower?
send green star
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Thanks for this article...Hummingbirds are amazing & deserve our special care.
I have a lense on Squidoo about them:
www.squidoo.com/wingedlife
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organic flowers are the hummingbirds food and I am so grateful for the one that comes each Am and flys over to me as I sleep on my tiny deck. she coms so close and is so lovely as I greet her.. Granulated sugar causes so many health problems in children and adults,imagine how dangerous it is for a whisp of a hummingbird. Flowers not sugar and then no wasp problem either.
P.Tyler ND
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I have 2 feeders and have enjoyed these beautiful creatures for 5 yrs at my small apt. But last fall a bully roufus decided to take over the tree in front of my apt and kill everything w/n a block radius. I've tried "everything" for almost a year now to make him leave. I brought in the feeders for a month. But when I placed them back, he was there w/n a few hrs. I'm so sad. One of my greatest joys used to be sitting on my porch and watching these beauties. That pleasure is gone. I'm so sad. He has cleared out the entire area. I used to have hundreds visit a day. Now I have a few, but not the sweet green ones, just other bullies. So very sad.
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This is for Kim (the city dweller who wants to attract hummers). If your neighbors have trees and gardens then you may be able to attract them. Put out your plants and a couple of feeders and keep them clean and full. Then be very patient. It can take a few months, but if there are hummers anywhere nearby or migrating through, they will discover your yard and once there they will keep coming. So be prepared to maintain the feeders for years to come. Once established, they really depend on us humans to help them survive. Contrary to myth, hummingbirds usually stay year round except in very severe climates. Good luck! These wonderful birds are well worth the effort.
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I happen to live in Hummingbird Heaven - Tucson AZ.. I've seen generation after generation of Hummers grow up :) I have six feeders on my porch and I can stand close to any of the feeders and the hummers are not one bit peturbed by my presence. Amazing to see them up close. Tucson and surrounding areas have many hummer species and they stay all year long..... :):)
I love to sit in my favorite chair and just watch ... For me its the best meditation and it makes me realize what a wonderful place I live in ...
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I have a lot of these flowers and it really brings in the hummingbirds.
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i dont live in a country setting, rather city live but lots of our neightbors have gardens and trees. could i attract hummingbirds in this atmosphere?
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