summertime in the garden wreak many terrific visitors , include the most admired of them all : hummingbirds .
Because ruby - throated hummingbirds breed here in Western Pennsylvania , they are by far the most vulgar mintage in my garden , but some long time I ’m also blessed with the periodic previous - time of year sighting of a rufous hummingbird , a migrating westerly specie that sometimes veers off - course on its migration from its breeding grounds in the Pacific Northwest to its winter base in Mexico . We also may seldom see a steam organ hummer or an Allen ’s hummer , but if I spy a handful of birds in my garden on a daily basis this fourth dimension of year , I can roost assured that they are ruby - throated hummingbird .
These beautiful little birds are known to refund to the same yard year after twelvemonth . Sadly , I have yet to blemish the mating pair that have shout my backyard home for the past three summers . Backyard hummingbird feeder should be fill by mid - April to support nest - edifice efforts , and I was a few weeks late in arrange mine out this class . Whether or not that played into the brace deciding not to return , I have n’t a cue , but I omit them already and will uphold to wash and refill the confluent every workweek in hopes of attracting new birds to my garden .
Planting for HummingbirdsI also engraft many unlike hummingbird - well-disposed florescence plants in my garden . Hummers are extremely attracted to the colour red and to long , vasiform flowers , so I ’m sure to include plenty of them in my landscape each season . They have sex the weigela I have planted on the side of my house as well as the red buckeye tree we constitute a few years ago . Other favorite shrubs include blood-red or orange honeysuckle varieties and butterfly bushes .
In the repeated garden , I have plenty of agastache , columbine , fundamental flower , penstemon , monarda , coral bells , red blistering pokers and foxglove . And if you may only produce annuals or if you garden in containers , you may rick instead to lantana , fuchsia , petunias , pineapple plant sage , Mexican sunflower and red salvia . In my garden , the hummingbird ’ favorite summer - blooming plant is the annual cypress vine ( Ipomea quamoclit ) I plant on my tepee trellis from seeded player each spring .
Make Hummingbird FeedIf you , too , have a hummingbird feeder , you do n’t have to invest in commercially made nutrient mixtures . Simply make your own hummingbird feed by boil 1 cup granulated sugar in 4 cups water for two minutes . Let it chill and then satiate the birdfeeder . you could keep the excess in the fridge for a week or two , and be certain to empty and clean your bird feeder on a weekly basis .
