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Hummingbird Heaven
Hummingbirds can spot a large patch of bright red flowers over a half-mile away. It's like a telegraph that says, "stop here!" There are many flowers and shrubs that have showy red, orange, pink, nectar-filled blossoms. Plant vines along trellises and against fences. Annuals can go directly in the garden among the vegetables, or in flowerbeds and window boxes. Groupings of perennials mixed in with shrubs will attract hummingbirds to the same spot year after year. If your space is limited, brightly colored hanging baskets can be a huge attraction. To provide a smorgasbord for hummingbirds, choose a selection from the following variety flowers: Cardinal Flower, Lobelia, Lantana, Columbine, Aguilegia, Fuchsias, Impatiens, Coral-Bells, Hollyhocks, Petunia, Geranium, Begonia. Shrubs can include: Azaleas, Rhododendron, Butterfly Bush, Buddleia, Flowering Quince, Honeysuckle, Lonicera, Weigela.
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Birds and butterflies are down right fun to have in the garden. They provide hours of relaxation and entertainment. Like humans, they need food, shelter and water. Provide these three things in your garden, and you will have lots of feathered and velvety friends come by to visit. If they are happy, they will hang around for the season and prove to be perfect guests. Birds To attract birds, start by taking an inventory of your landscape. You will need a good selection of trees and shrubs -- especially those that produce berries. It is also wise to plant bushes in groups and away from areas that have lots of human traffic. If you do not live close to a lake, river or stream, you will need to provide water. A fountain, water bath or small pond is great. A simple shallow dish of water close to a bird feeder would be sufficient. Birds also like sand baths, so a container or small section of sand would be a welcome addition. Of course, birds love seeds. Bird feeders with a variety of seed choice is always welcome, especially when there is not a lot of seed or berries available "au naturel". One of the easiest plants to grow is the sunflower. There are many sizes and shapes, and birds feed on sunflower seeds well into the fall. Small birds like the smaller seeds, so when possible, let your flowers and vegetables go to seed rather than pull them out after they fruit or flower. Consider dedicating a section of your berry patch for the birds. Let the berries overripe or dry up a bit -- and watch them get gobbled up! Bird favourites include blueberries, grapes, raspberries, sweet and sour cherries. They also like hollies, pyracantha and viburnumbs. Keep leaves and grass cutting to use around the base of both new and established plantings. The mulch will keep the roots cool and moist and reduce weeds. In the spring, the rotting leaves will supply a feast of worms for the robins and insects for small birds.
Monarch Butterfly Butterflies Butterflies are also easy to please. They have few requirements, but it is imperative for them to have a sunny location and be protected from winds. They like to bask in the sun, so a large flat rock would provide a welcome warm spot. They also need mud baths, so set up "butterfly puddles" where they can get the required salts and minerals. Butterflies also like rotten -- really rotten fruit. A dish of cut up overripe fruit is always a big attraction. |
As for flowers, plant varieties that produce nectar and can take lots of sun. Butterflies prefer pastel colours and seem especially fond of pink and purple. You will have great success if you have some host plants to help butterflies grow from larval stage to maturity. Good selections for host plants include Milkweed, Dill, Hollyhock, Marigold, Anise, Violets, Senna, Sedum and Cabbage.
Birds love sunflowers. Spread out the welcome mat for bird and butterflies! Plan now -- and you’ll be rewarded with hours of joy. Oh yes, and buy a comfortable lounge chair and pair of binoculars. Enjoy the antics of your guests. To
attract butterflies, plant some of the following: Shrubs
and trees: Lilacs, Butterfly Bush, Sweet Pepperbush, Blueberries, Spice
Bush, Buttonbush, Cherry Trees, Plum Trees Annuals:
Heliotrope, Verbena, Petunia, Four O'clocks, Cosmos, Marigolds,
Zinnias, Petunias, Nicotiana Perennials: Goldenrod, Daisies, Daylilies, Bee Balm, Asters, Yarrow, Purple Coneflower, Mints, Monarda, Sedum, Coreopsis, Gaillardia, Lavender Recommended plantings to attract birds Conifers: White Cedar, Red Cedar, Common Juniper Fruit Bearing Shrubs and Trees: Hobble bush, Serviceberry [Juneberry], Honeysuckle, Pin Cherry, Choke Cherry, Dogwood, Elder, Mountain Ash, Hawthorn, Crabapple, Snowberry, Buckthorn, Olive, Winterberry, Holly, Sumac, Highbush Cranberry, Wild Grape, Virginia Creeper, Currants, Brambles, Mulberry, Carrion Flower, Highbush Blueberry, Huckleberry, Dogwood. Hackberry, Moonseed, Wild Rose. Barberry, Other trees and shrubs that birds love: Poplars, Quaking Aspen, Oak, Beech, Walnut, Siberian Pea Tree, Common Locust, Elm, Maple, Birch, Fir, Ground Hemlock, Spruce Tamarack, Flowers: Love Lies Bleeding, Cornflower, Bachelor's Button, Blessed Thistle, Ox-eye Daisy, Cosmos, Tarweed, Carnation, Phlox, Larkspur, Purslane, Four O’Clock, Black-eyed Susan, Scabiosa, Marigold, Verbina, Zinnia, Sunflowers, Clematis, Cardinal Flower, Forget-me-not, Bleeding Heart. |
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