How to attract hummingbirds to your garden
Hummingbirds are beautiful little birds that delight those who watch them feed, flutter around, etc. They build fragile itty bitty nests the size of a golf ball, and take great care of their young. They are fascinating, beautiful, and something every gardener should want to attract.
So, how do you attract hummingbirds to your garden so you can enjoy the beauty and splendor of watching their behavior? If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden, you have to plant a hummingbird garden. What is a hummingbird garden? It is a garden that provides them a natural diet, and that will attract them. This can be accomplished without a feeder, but by planting plants that attract birds. Hummingbirds feed by sight on regularly-followed routes, so if you want to attract hummingbirds, you will want to fuel their inquisitive nature which will lead them to investigate any possible new source of food.
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If you want to attract hummingbirds, do not use pesticides around hummingbird plants (a list of popular hummingbird plants is included below). This is a very bad idea for a couple of reasons. If you use pesticides you are essentially killing garden pests. However you will also eliminate the small insects hummingbirds rely upon for protein, which is especially necessary to the babies. So, do not use pesticides if you want hummingbirds to be attracted to your garden. However, this is not the only reason to avoid pesticides. In addition, hummingbirds might directly ingest pesticides sprayed onto flowers, which could sicken or kill them.
When planting a hummingbird garden, focus on color, not smell. One thing you should know about hummingbirds is they do not have a sense of smell, so great smelling flowers, while nice for you, do little for them. Instead, plant big beautiful, highly visible and nectar producing flowers. Visit your local nursery for suggestions specific to your climate and area.
If you want to have hummingbirds in your garden you will want to first look at where you live, but then consider the following as they not only attract, but can provide food for hummingbirds. If you are unsure about whether or not one of the following plants will grow well where you live, talk to your local nursery. The people there should be experts on your area, and will know what plants are easy to grow, and which take great care:
Trees and Shrubs
Azalea
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
Cape Honeysuckle
Flame Acanthus
Flowering Quince
Lantana
Manzanita
Mimosa
Red Buckeye
Tree Tobacco
Turk's Cap
Weigela
Vines
Coral Honeysuckle
Cypress Vine
Morning Glory
Scarlet Runner Bean
Trumpet Creeper
Using a feeder can, and often will attract hummingbirds to your garden, but it will be short term. If you want them to stay long term, build their tiny little nests, and raise their itty bitty young in your garden, under your watchful eye, you need to provide a sanctuary for the hummers. You need to not spray pesticides so that you do not kill them or their food source (this is especially important for baby hummingbirds as they need their protein very badly). You need to plant visible flowers that have bright colors to attract hummingbirds and make them feel comfortable. It is up to you to find which of the above list will grow in your particular climate, but once you know, plant them, cultivate them, watch them grow, and in turn enjoy that the hummingbirds are going to be attracted to your garden.
