Planting A Hummingbird Garden
Planning & Designing Your Hummingbird Garden / Habitat
One good way to enjoy the company of hummingbirds, and attract many of them, is planting a hummingbird garden, or habitat. In addition to providing them a natural diet, a hummer garden is an excellent way to attract birds to your nearby feeder: since hummingbirds feed by sight on regularly-followed routes - called traplining - their inquisitive nature will quickly lead them to investigate any possible new source of food.
The perfect hummingbird habitat is a simple one, and even the smallest garden can provide the food, water, perches, shelter and nesting sites that hummingbirds need. It's easy to lure these beautiful birds into your backyard - and keep them coming back year after year.
Plant Selection: Use the Plant Search as a research tool. When you get to the Plant Search page, start by choosing your ZONE, the select "Hummingbirds" under the ATTRACTIONS category. A list of plants that hummingbirds love will appear below the Search board. While investigating, make sure to write down a list of plants that you like. Note height and width so that you will know where to place them in the garden.
After making your list of plants, spend some time to sketch a basic plan out on paper. ALSO SEE: Plants Hummingbird's Like
Garden Shape & Location: An important consideration when designing your hummingbird garden is its shape and where it will be located. Sites that receive all day sun or morning sun with afternoon shade are preferred, as many of the plants that produces the nectar-rich flowers hummers like prefer sun. Curved, narrow flower beds are best, because hummers can access the blooms from all sides of the plants. Plant your garden near decks, patios, porches or just outside windows of your home so you can view them in upclose in action.
Don't crowd your garden with large trees or shrubs, but do arrange to have several in or near the garden. Hummingbirds need room to accommodate their wings as they whir about the blossoms. Select a variety of flowers, trees and shrubs, from low to medium to tall in height. Male hummers like to have tall trees to perch on, as they use them to watch for predators while the females are feeding.
If you plan carefully and select a variety of plants that flower at successively later dates, you will be rewarded with hummers throughout the season. Before starting on your garden, visit your local nursery and garden center, taking your sketch and plant list with you. Purchase plants that are available and special order any that aren't. If you have trouble finding certain plants locally, try finding them through online mail-order plant suppliers. Plants purchased online are usually smaller and more expensive, but this may be the only route to go to get the plants you really want to see in your garden.
Planting Your Hummingbird Garden
There are different methods for planting a hummingbird garden. Some folks say its best to till up the entire garden area, however, we've found that this usually brings lots of buried weeds seeds to the surface and also promotes invasiveness of certain types of perennials. Of course you can till the entire area if you like. We prefer not to disturb all the soil surface in the garden. Instead we do the following:
- Start by trimming grass plants or weeds that are inside what will be the garden area to a height of about 2 to 3 inches.
- Plot the perimeter of the garden out with marker paint, flour or a garden hose.
- Spray existing weeds and grass plants inside the perimeter of the garden area thoroughly with a solution containing glyphosphate (Killzall Super Concentrate or Roundup). Mix as directed on label. Always wear protective clothing and eyewear when spraying a chemical. Take a shower afterwards and wash clothes seperately.
- Allow Spray to dry for about two hours. This would be a good time to visit your local nursery to pick up any remaining plants that may have come in on special order.
- After spray has dried, use a round point garden shovel to dig a trench about 4 to 6 inches deep around the perimeter of the garden, following your painted line.This will help to define your garden from any sorrounding lawn grass.
- Before planting, arrange the perennials and any other plants or trees you have purchased in garden. If you didn't draw out a plan, place taller varieties (48"' + height) towards the back of the border (or center if the garden will be viewed from all sides). Place mid-size plants (18-48' height) in front or nestled bewteen taller ones. Place lower plants around the outside edge of the bed.
- NOTE: When setting the plants out in the bed make sure to space them properly. If a perennial grows 18 inches wide mark out a circle on the ground with an 18" diameter (orange marker paint works great for doing this.) Set the plant in the center of the circle. Also mark out areas where missing plants will be planted later when they arrive. After placing all of the plants step back to take a look, then making any final placement adjustments.
- When you are satisfied that everything is in place, remove one plant at a time from its container and plant it. For planting, dig holes 2 to 3 times as wide as the container the plant came in. Mix in an good composted soil ammendment such mushroom compost, your own home-made compost, at a 50/50 ratio with the soil removed from the hole. Place plant in hole with the top edge of the root ball even with the ground level, or slightly above to allow for settling. Backfill around plant with soil mixture, tamping lighlty as you go to remove air pockets.
- Give your newly planted perennials and other plants a good soaking when you've finished planting.
- Mulch the garden with 4" layer of pine straw or 2" layer of shredded wood mulch. We prefer wood mulch at 2 inches deep aas it provides a better barrier against weed growth.
- Check your plants every day to see if they need watering, but do not overwater. Whenever in doubt, use the finger test method to check for soil moisture.
The base of your perennial hummingbird garden is now complete. Remember, the first year, you might want to plant some annuals here and there in the garden for extra-added color. Use the Plant Search to find annual bedding plants that attract hummingbirds. Select "Annual Plant" under PLANT TYPE, and then "Hummingbirds" under ATTRACTIONS.
Here's A Listing of Hummingbird Magnets
Click on an image or link to view a detailed Plant File for that Plant
(23) Plants Found. Showing 1 to 10 of 23.
SEE:
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