Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden

 

Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden

Attracting Hummingbirds to your garden can be very easy. All you need to do is follow a few simple steps and you will have these wonderful creatures visiting your garden on a daily basis. You do not need to redesign your entire landscape or hire a professional landscaper to design a Hummingbird Garden for you, because by providing a few key elemental ingredients and plants you can attract beautiful hummingbirds to your garden. There are certain plants that are Hummingbird magnets that you can use to attract Hummingbirds in your area.

To attract and keep Hummingbirds returning to your garden we need to discuss the key elements and simple steps to follow:

q  Create a habitat to encourage Hummingbirds to nest and feed.

q  Provide at least 3 Hummingbird feeders.

q  Provide Nectar rich, tubular flowers.

Creating a Habitat for Hummingbirds to Nest and Feed would involve providing trees or places for the Hummingbirds to nest. This can be provided for the majority of Hummingbird species by having horizontal tree limbs, and shelter from surrounding tree limbs. The material used by most Hummingbirds to build their nest is organic in nature and is available to your Hummingbirds in most back yard habitats. A few of the organic items used by Hummingbirds are downy plant material, bits of leaves, bark, fallen leaves, and moss.  A Hummingbirds diet consists of 90% of their food coming from nectar, and the other 10% of their diet consists of insects. When attracting Hummingbirds to your garden you’ll need to be aware of the use of insecticides on the plants that the Hummingbirds feed upon. There are two ways to approach the use of insecticides in the garden. One way would be let the Hummingbirds take care of your insect problem, or you can use organically friendly insecticides that are safe for Hummingbirds. By providing a consistent supply of nectar rich flowers and an additional supply of nectar coming from the Hummingbird feeders you will have very happy Hummingbirds in your garden.

Providing at Least 3 Hummingbird Feeders will entice more Hummingbirds returning repeatedly to your garden. By providing an additional and constant food source you will encourage Hummingbirds to stay in your garden for food, and to nest. Place your feeders where you can see all the activity going on. You can place the Hummingbird feeders in any tree limb near your patio, or hang from eaves outside a kitchen window, or an exterior window(s) that you frequently visit. By placing your Hummingbird feeder near the places, you frequently visit outdoors your Hummingbirds will eventually become accustomed to your presence and no longer be afraid when you are present. There are two key ingredients to remember when using Hummingbird feeders in addition to nectar rich plants.

1)    Always keep a good supply of nectar in the Hummingbird feeders.

2)    Always clean your Hummingbird feeder once a week to keep your Hummingbirds healthy.

Hibiscus and More has a beautiful selection of Hummingbird Feeders. Click Here to Order Your Hummingbird Feeders.

Providing Nectar Rich, Tubular Flowers will give your Hummingbird Garden an additional food source that will keep your Hummingbirds coming back each year. Attracting Hummingbirds to your garden is an art.  Nutrition for the Hummingbirds, and how to attract Hummingbirds year-round, all must be taken into consideration.  An abundance of nectar rich flowers, at least 3 Hummingbird Feeders as an additional food source, creates a habitat for nesting and feeding all need to be provided.  The more nectar plants that are provided and Hummingbird feeders provided will attract more Hummingbirds to your garden for years to come.

To bring numerous Hummingbirds to your garden you need to plan for masses and clumps of nectar rich perennials and annuals. Both perennials and annuals should be planted, but perennials are more useful since they bloom year-round, thus attracting Hummingbirds throughout the year.  The blooming periods of the annuals should be staggered also, in order to attract Hummingbirds year-round. Both flower shape and flower color are important in regard to attracting Hummingbirds to feed are the best.  Hummingbirds prefer single flowers with a tubular shape and upright blooms for feeding, and they also prefer flowers with bright colors and a distinct scent, with shades of red, from pink to orange being their favored colors. After planting the plants and hanging your Hummingbird feeders it will take some time for the Hummingbirds to find you, and as the year’s progress you will see more Hummingbirds visiting your garden. Each year the Hummingbirds will come back to the same area as the year before. My father’s house in Georgia has a Miss Huff Lantana bush and that same year the bush was planted the Hummingbirds were frequent visitors and continue to this day to visit the Lantana bush each year. Some of the plants that I will mention will also attract butterflies to your garden as well.

Autumn Sage: Salvia greggii 'Maraschino'. Type: Perennial. Height: 3’ – 4’. Spacing: 18” – 24” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant. 

Autumn Sage

Bee Balm: Monarda spp. Type: Perennial. Height: 3 – 4”. Spacing: 24 – 30” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant. 

Bee Balm

Blue Porterweed: Stachytarpheta jamaicensis. Type: Perennial. Height: 2 – 3’. Spacing: 24” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant. 

Porterweed

Butterfly Bush: Buddleia davidii 'Pink Delight'. Type: Perennial. Height: 4 – 6’. Spacing: 4 – 6’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant.  

Butterfly Bush

Columbine: Aquilegia 'Cardinal'. Type: Perennial. Height: 24 – 28”. Spacing: 18 – 24” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant.

Cardinal Columbine

Firebush: Hamelia patens. Type: Shrub. Height: To 15’. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant.

Firebush

Firecracker Plant: Russelia equisetiformis. Type: Perennial. Height: 36” – 48”. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant. 

Firecracker Plant

Garden Canna: Canna X generalis. Type: Perennial. Height: Depends on variety but can range from 3 – 5’. Spacing: 1 – 2’ apart for rhizomes, and 3 – 5’ apart for container plants. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant.

Canna

Homestead Purple Verbena: Verbena canadensis 'Homestead Purple'. Type: Perennial ground cover. Height: 6 – 10”. Spacing: 12 – 24” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, heat and drought tolerant.

Homestead Purple Verbena

Korean Hyssop: Agastache rugosa. Type: Perennial. Height: 3 – 4’. Spacing: 12 – 18” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant.

Lantana: Lantana camara 'Miss Huff'. Type: Perennial. Height: 4 – 5’. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, heat, and drought tolerant. 

Lantana Miss Huff

Lemon Bottlebrush: Callistemon citrinus. Type: Shrub. Height: To 12’. Spacing: 4 – 6’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: N/A. 

Lemon Bottlebrush

Mexican Sage: Salvia leucantha. Type: Perennial. Height: 2 – 4’. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, and drought tolerant.

Mexican Sage

Pentas: Pentas lanceolata. Type: Perennial. Height: To 3’, depends on variety. Spacing: 24 – 36” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, heat and drought tolerant.

Pentas

Petunia: Petunia X hybrida 'Purple Wave'. Type: Annual. Height: 4 – 6”. Spacing: For a thick coverage, 12 – 15” apart, 3’ apart for regular coverage, plants will spread 3 – 5’. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, heat and drought tolerant. 

Purple Wave Petunia

Pineapple Sage: Salvia elegans. Type: Perennial in USDA zones 9 – 11, treat as an annual outside zone 9. Height: 3 – 5’. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant. Crushed fresh leaves in fruit salads and drinks; the fresh flowers can be used in salads and desserts.

Pineapple Sage

Texas Gold Columbine: Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana. Type: Perennial. Height: 18 – 36”. Spacing: 12 – 18” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant.

Texas Hummingbird Mint: Agastache cana. Type: Perennial. Height: 24 – 36”. Spacing: 12 – 18” apart. Light Requirements: Full sun. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, and drought tolerant.

Trailing Lantana: Lantana montevidensis. Type: Perennial, annual outside USDA zone 8. Height: 18 – 24”. Spacing: 3 – 4’ apart, can spread to 5’. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, heat and drought tolerant.

Trailing Lantana

Tropical Hibiscus: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. Type: Shrub, annual outside USDA zone 9. Height: To 12 – 15’, pruning can control height. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, and heat tolerant. 

Tropical Hibiscus

Turk's Cap: Malvaviscus arboreus. Type: Shrub, annual outside USDA zone 9. Height: To 12 – 15’, pruning can control height. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, and heat tolerant. 

Turk's Cap

Wax Begonia: Begonia X semperflorens-cultorum. Type: Annual. Height: 6 – 12”. Spacing: 8 – 12” apart. Light Requirements: Partial shade to shade, the bronze-leaf varieties will tolerate more sun. Additional Uses: None. 

Wax Begonia

Yellow Elder: Tecoma stans (Stenolobium stans). Type: Shrub, annual outside USDA zone 7. Height: To 12 – 15’, pruning can control height. Spacing: 3 – 5’ apart. Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade. Additional Uses: Butterfly attractant, drought, and heat tolerant. 

Yellow Elder

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Fertilizers For Southern Plants

Fertilizers For Southern Plants

Fertilizers are the vitamins or the essential elements that a plant needs to grow and stay healthy. The soil, atmosphere, and water usually provide the plant with these essential nutrients, but there are times when the soil is generally nutrient deficient and in this case a fertilizer is essential. There are sixteen essential elements to plant nutrition. These elements are separated into two categories, macronutrients and micronutrients. The macronutrients are: oxygen [O], carbon [C], hydrogen [H], nitrogen [N], phosphorus [P], potassium [K], Calcium [Ca], magnesium [Mg], sulfur [S] and are required by the plant in large amounts. Oxygen, carbon and hydrogen are provided to the plant by the atmosphere and water. Required by the plant in small amounts are the micronutrients, which are: iron [Fe], manganese [Mn], zinc [Zn], baron [B], copper [Cu], molybdenum [Mo], and chlorine [Cl]. These elements are the building blocks to plant nutrition and health.

There are several types of fertilizers on the market today that are especially formulated for specific plants and to mention a few, there are Azalea fertilizers, Hibiscus Fertilizers, Palm Fertilizers, and many others. Let’s say you go to your local nursery or garden center to purchase the recommended fertilizer for your plant and the item is not in stock, or even available in your local. What do you do now? Fertilizers are formulated by percentage ratios such as 6-6-6, which is a 1-1-1 ratio or what is called a balanced fertilizer. As long as you get as close to fertilizer ratio as possible the plant will be happy.

When applying fertilizer please follow the package recommendations to how much should be applied and how frequently. Over fertilizing your plants does not help the plant in fact can cause more harm than good because a plant will only take up the fertilizer that it needs. Depending on the plant over fertilizing can cause a decrease in plant health, can lead to a decline, or eventually death; and in some species of plants, over fertilizing can cause an increase in insects. Fertilize newly planted plants after you see new growth appear.

Listed below are a few southern plants and the recommended fertilizers.

Allamanda – Allamanda’s are moderate feeders, requiring a balanced fertilizer with applications 3 to 4 times a year. After establishment water only during periods of drought. Allamanda pictured right. 

Brown Bud Allamanda

Bougainvillea – Bougainvillea’s are heavy feeders and a Bougainvillea fertilizer should have a low phosphorous [P], which is the middle number and a higher analysis of potassium [K], which is the last number. The recommended fertilizers for the Bougainvillea are 6-8-10, 12-4-18, and 17-7-10, or you can use a fertilizer that is recommended for Hibiscus Plants. Bougainvillea pictured left.

Bougainvillea

Firebush: Hamelia patens – Firebush is gaining popularity with gardeners and landscapers alike due to the plant’s drought tolerance after establishment; the plant attracts butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden, and requires little to no maintenance. Firebush requires little to no fertilizer, but can be fertilized twice a year in early spring and early summer with a 12-4-8 fertilizer or a fertilizer that has a 3-1-2 ratio blend. Firebush pictured right.

Firebush

Firecracker Plant: Russelia equisetiformis – Firecracker plant is very drought tolerant after establishment in the landscape and is not picky about the soil it grows in. The plant attracts butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden.   Firecracker Plant

Firecracker Plant

requires very little fertilizer and you can apply a balanced fertilizer in the early spring and mid-summer. Firecracker Plant pictured left.

Hibiscus - Hibiscus are heavy feeders and a Hibiscus fertilizer should have a low phosphorous [P], which is the middle number and a higher analysis of potassium [K], which is the last number. The recommended fertilizers for the Hibiscus are 10-4-12, 9-3-12, or 12-4-18. Osmocote 17-6-10 + minors or Osmocote 18-6-12 are also recommended for Hibiscus and are a time-release fertilizer. Hibiscus plants attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies.

Homestead Purple Verbena: Verbena canadensis 'Homestead Purple' – There are two types of Verbenas, annual and perennial, but both types of Verbenas require the same fertilizer, and do extremely well under drought conditions and summer heat. Both types of Verbenas require a well-drained soil or plant in an area that does not collect water during heavy rains. Fertilize Verbenas once a year with a balanced plant food. Homestead Purple Verbena pictured right.  

Homestead Purple Verbena

Ixora – Ixoras require an acid soil and an acid fertilizer. When Ixoras are planted in alkaline soil the plant suffers from Iron and Manganese deficiencies. When planting Ixoras amend the soil with Miracle-Gro Azalea soil or Miracle-Gro Rose soil and top dress with mulch. The recommended fertilizer for Ixoras are the same that are recommended for Gardenias, Azaleas, and Rhododendrons which should contain the minor elements, or a fertilizer recommended for Palm trees, or a fertilizer recommended for Hibiscus. Apply fertilizer 3 to 4 times a year. Do you drink coffee or tea? If so, the used grounds can be recycled back into the soil under your acid loving plants such as Ixoras.

Lantana: Lantana camara – Lantana loves the summer heat and is extremely drought tolerant after the plant is established. In the south, Lantana is a perennial that comes back in the spring and should be pruned back after the danger of frost is gone. Lantana requires very little fertilizer and can be fertilized very lightly with a balanced

Lantana

fertilizer such as 6-6-6, 8-8-8, or 10-10-10 in early spring and mid-summer. Lantanas attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Lantana Plant pictured left.

Palm Trees – require a 3-1-3 ratio fertilizer such as 12-4-12, or 13-3-13, or 15-5-15 at a slow-release or a control-release formulation. The fertilizer should also, contain minor elements or micro-elements. Broadcast the fertilizer around the root zone and past the drip line of the palm fronds.

Pride-of Barbados: Caesalpinia pulcherrima – Pride-of Barbados is in the Fabaceae family, (Legumes) and has a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria called Rhizobia. The Rhizobia (bacteria) takes nitrogen from the air and changes the nitrogen to nitrates, a form of nitrogen that is immediately available to the plant’s roots. Because of the nitrogen-fixing bacteria, if you need to fertilize the plant use a low nitrogen fertilizer. The plant is very drought tolerant after establishment and grows well in a wide range of soils from alkaline to acidic.

Turk’s Cap: Malvaviscus arboreus – Turk’s Cap is in the Malvaceae Family, the same family the Hibiscus plant is in. Hibiscuses are heavy feeders and a Hibiscus fertilizer should have a low phosphorous [P], which is the middle number and a higher analysis of

Turk's Cap

potassium [K], which is the last number. The recommended fertilizers for the Hibiscus are 10-4-12, 9-3-12, or 12-4-18. Osmocote 17-6-10 + minors or Osmocote 18-6-12 are also recommended for Hibiscus and are a time-release fertilizer. Turk’s Cap is more drought tolerant than the tropical Hibiscus and attracts Hummingbirds and Butterflies. Turk's Cap pictured right.

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©Cheryl Ann Meola 2013.  Texas Certified Nursery Professional (TCNP) #1282.