A Helpful Guide to Planting a Hummingbird Garden

Planting a hummingbird garden is a wonderful way to watch nature in your own backyard. Hummingbirds love bright colors and can see them from a distance. Try to avoid plants that are not native to your area. The hummingbirds will love the local nectar and will return for more if it feels your garden is a reliable source. In every type of bird garden you need to have a bird bath or something with fresh water for the birds to drink and splash around in. You can make a durable and attractive bird bath on your own for under $20. You would need to buy a flower pot, the base that matches it and glue that will hold the two together. Turn your pot upside down so that the opening is facing downwards. Glue the base onto the pot. Let it dry, wash it then add water. You will need to get a base that has a lip so the water will not flow over the edges. You can decorate these bird baths by gluing colorful pieces of plastic or polished glass to the sides in any pattern you want. If your pots are pretty enough you could just leave them alone. Place these in your garden and watch as the birds make use of them.

Even if you plant flowers at some point your garden will not have any blooms for the hummingbird to gather nectar from. During this time you can add brightly colored hummingbird feeders to your garden. The best thing to use in the feeders is plain sugar water with no coloring or additives. The usual formula is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Never use honey in your mixture. Honey can grow a fungus which might kill the hummingbirds. Sugar and water is simple and works the best.

The plants that go in your hummingbird garden are important but did you know that there are trees, shrubs and vines that attract hummingbirds as well? Vines take up less space and can grow over a trellis or garden archway. A few varieties of hummingbird vines include honeysuckle, trumpet vines, morning glory, scarlet runner bean, cardinal climber and the rosary vine. The butterfly bush is a very popular plant for hummingbirds. They can grow to a large size depending on what variety you get. They are also hardy and can withstand most extreme weather conditions.

Flowers
Foxglove
Yucca
Bee Balm
Coral Bells
Petunia
Jewelweed

Trees and Shrubs
Red Buckeye
Mimosa
Eucalyptus
Azalea
Lantana
Tree Tobacco

Vines
Honeysuckle
Trumpet vines
Morning Glory
Scarlet Runner Bean
Cardinal Climber
Rosary Vine

Tips
Use bright colors in your garden. Hummingbirds are attracted to them.

If you have a hummingbird feeder you can keep ants out of it by cutting a slit in a paper cup and attaching it to the pole supporting the feeder. Position the cup upside down. Tape the cup so that the ants can't crawl through the slit.

Do not use any pesticides or chemicals in or around a hummingbird garden. This could harm or even kill the birds.

Hummingbirds do not smell. The smell of the flower is not as important as the nectar it produces. Keep this in mind when choosing plants.