March 23rd

By Mutt Mulligan

Think Hummingbirds Before Trip to the Nursery

Plans are formulating and designs are getting drawn.  What plants to buy and where do I put them?   Aside from when it blooms, how tall it grows or how it smells, think Hummingbirds!  What a wonderful sight to behold, a hummingbird swooping through your garden.

Well, they have no sense of smell, so it’s the color and shape that attracts them.   When you visit the nursery and local garden store, think of these plants for summer and fall blooms that are like a siren call to the hummingbird:

Summer: Lantana is a favorite annual for both butterflies and hummingbirds; hummingbird vine has long orange tube-shaped flowers, and it can be invasive, but hummingbirds love it. Other flowers they love include petunias, geraniums and morning glories.

Autumn: Choose autumn-blooming flowers for a last sip of nectar before the hummingbirds take off for their winter quarters in Mexico. Butterfly bushes start blooming in summer and continue through fall; try also Bee Balm, Monarda, and Cardinal Flower.

Want to learn more about hummingbirds and plants to attract them. Go here and find out some useful information.