Creating a hummingbird sanctuary

Hummingbirds are something you can entertain (and feed) in your garden if you have the right flowers in your landscape.

I think hummingbirds are fascinating. I love to attract them to my garden so I pay close attention to the way I landscape in order to provide the best hummingbird sanctuary possible. Since this is the time of year when I attract the most hummingbirds, I thought I’d share some landscaping information with you so you can share in the fun.

Imagine a heart beating at 1200 beats per minute. That is the typical pulse rate of the average ruby-throated hummingbird, common to the Puget Sound. It migrates from the Gulf of Mexico in both spring and fall. It has been said that hummingbirds can dive at speeds of up to 60 mph. And did you know that of all the birds, the hummingbird lays the smallest eggs?

There is so much to appreciate about hummingbirds. It’s worth a little effort to attract them to your landscape. To create a hummingbird sanctuary, plant a variety of trees and evergreens, as well as grasses, where they can find safe shelter from cats, hawks and the weather. This also increases the likelihood that your landscape will be their chosen place to build their nest – how cool is that? Next, provide food for them to eat and feed their young by creating a habitat for small insects and spiders. One way to do this is by not raking all your leaves, but allowing some to remain on the ground.

Here is an article titled Gardening for the birds and butterflies that you may find helpful (http://www.plantparadise.ca/articles/Birds_and_ButterfliesPDFArticle.PDF).

I have read that hummingbirds do not have a very good sense of smell but have keen eyesight. So attract hummingbirds with red and orange flowers -- especially nectar-producing flowers such as honeysuckle, clematis, petunias, dahlias (see our article about planting and storing dahlias), snapdragons, phlox, foxglove, and many more.

I like to hang brightly-colored hummingbird feeders near my window that are filled with a mixture of equal parts water and sugar which I have boiled for one minute and then cooled. (Make sure to clean all parts of the hummingbird feeder with bleach and rinse well before using – hummingbirds are very smart and seem to know if the feeder is clean or not.)

I have had several hummingbirds come back to my yard year after year. I watch them drink from the feeders and dive-bomb each other as they fight for their territory. It’s a marvelous sight and one I hope you will also be able to enjoy. Give us a call today at Environmental Construction (425-803-9881) and we will help create a landscape that is also a hummingbird sanctuary.

Category: Animals and Insects