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Blueprint To A Hummingbird Garden Part 1

By Susan Nelson Hopkins

What makes a successful hummingbird garden? How do you do it? Follow the five easy steps in this Hummingbird Garden Blueprint, that’s how.

In a nutshell, you create a hummers' "paradise". Surround them with tubular, funnel-shaped flowers; offer them rainbow making misters and dewdrop filled leaf baths; provide nesting sites fit for an uncomplaining feather fluff diva;
and, of course, include dessert bars... tongue tingling feeders. Lastly, supply extra nectar to "fatten" them up for their fall migration.

Just follow this simple blueprint, and you'll have hummers visiting and living in your new hummingbird garden landscape.

Step 1: Use A Variety of Plants to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden…

Plant several varieties of trees, shrubs, vines, and plants that have tubular, funnel shaped flowers.

Trees and Shrubs:

Hardiness Zones 4-9… Azalea. Sun-part shade; blooms early-late spring; deciduous (hardy), evergreen (tender).

Hardiness Zones 4-9… Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii). sun; blooms late spring-fall; deciduous shrub.

Hardiness Zones 7-8… Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus). Sun-part shade; blooms mid-summer through frost; drought tolerant; decidous.

Hardiness Zones 4-8… Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia). Part shade; blooms late spring; tall deciduous shrub.

Hardiness Zones 4-8… Weigela florida). Sun-part shade; blooms late spring-fall; deciduous shrub.

Vines:

Hardiness Zones 4-8… Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera). Sun-part shade; blooms early-late spring; deciduous.

Annual… Cypress Vide (Ipomoea guamoclit). Sun; blooms late summer; lacy foliage and bright red flowers.

Annual… Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor). Sun; blooms summer-fall; blue and red available.

Perennial Flowers:

Hardiness Zones 4-8… Bee Balm-herb (Monarda didyma). Sun-part shade; blooms summer-fall; rapid grower; damp soil.

Hardiness Zones 3-9… Cardinal Flower (Lovelia cardinalis). Sun-shade; blooms summer-fall; wet; self sower.

Hardiness Zones 3-10… Columbine (Aguilegia). Full-part shade; blooms late spring-summer; red color available.

Hardiness Zones 2-11… Four O’Clocks (Mirabilis jalapa). Sun-part shade; blooms summer-fall; drought tolerant.

Hardiness Zones 3-9… Penstemon (Penstemon). Sun-light shade; blooms summer-fall.

Annual Flowers:

Annual… Impatiens (Impatiens wallerana). Part-full shade; blooms summer-fall; good container plants… NOTE: New Guinea Impatiens is a separate group that tolerates sun.

Hardiness Zones 2-6… Salvia-Lady in Red (Salvia coccinea). Full sun; blooms summer-fall; re-seeds itself.

Hardiness Zones 2-6… Petunia (Petunia). Sun; blooms summer-winter.

Hardiness Zones 10-11… Petunia (Petunia). Can plant in fall for winter blooms.

(For the rest of this article, see...
Blueprint to a Hummingbird Garden-Part 2)
 

Susan Nelson Hopkins is from Carlsbad, NM. She writes for a unique group of four family-friendly website collections... Susan's Gardens (a group of gardening sites), the Eyes-Only-Club (includes several family sites), Hopkins-Enterprises (includes links to sites focused on family-friendly activities and topics)., and BirdsnBugsnBees (kids' gardening site).
 

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