HOW TO ATTRACT HUMMINGBIRDS TO YOUR GARDEN

Home » Home and Family » Gardening Join Sign in EzineArticles - Expert Authors Sharing Their Best Original Articles Search Lesley Dietschy Expert Author | 40 Articles Joined: January 28, 2005 United States About Hummingbirds and How to Attract Them to Your Garden By Lesley Dietschy | Submitted On February 26, 2005 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Visualize watching a bright green hummingbird in your garden moving from flower to flower in search of the tasty nectar within. These beautiful and tiny birds weigh about 2 to 20 grams and are found in a wide variety of environments from the high Andes to lowlands, and from dry desert areas to rainforests. They have slender beaks, extensible tongues, ten primary feathers, and tiny feet suitable for perching but not walking. Hummingbirds can fly straight up, straight down, backwards, left, right, and even upside down. While most birds obtain their flight strength only from the down stroke, hummingbirds have power on the up stroke as well. Most hummingbirds flap their wings about fifty times a second and have a very fast heartbeat and high body temperature. They feed every ten minutes or so throughout the day and typically consume two-thirds of their body weight in a single day. Their source of nutrition is primarily nectar from flowers, as well as sources of protein from insects and tiny spiders. The key to attracting hummingbirds to your garden mainly consists of the right type of flowers and places where they can perch and rest during the day, such as trees or large plants. Hummingbirds are guided by visual means and are particularly attracted to certain shades of red. According to The Hummingbird Society, there are several possible explanations for their preference of red blossoms. Given that insects also see nectar, they can be regarded as competitors. Nearly all insects see well in the visible and near-ultraviolet light but poorly in the red end of the spectrum. Also, a red blossom may appear nearly black and unattractive to a number of insects, but not to the hummingbird, which can see the full visible spectrum but also some in the ultraviolet. This makes it less likely that an insect has taken nectar from a red flower. Another likely explanation is that during migration, red blossoms effectively contrast with a green environment more than other colored flowers do. Hummingbirds are welcomed guests to nearly all gardens. By planting flowering shrubs and plants that are their favored food source, we can easily attract them to become regular visitors to our gardens. Below is a short list of their preferred flowering plants by common name, separated by region: Southeastern United States: o Butterfly Bush o Cardinal Flower o Coral or Trumpet Honeysuckle o Cypress Vine o Native Trumpet Creeper o Texas Sage Southwest United States: o Indian Paintbrush o Lantana o Lily of the Nile o Mexican Honeysuckle o Texas Sage o Western Coral Bean West Coast United States: o Beebalm o Bottle Brush o Cape Fuchsia o Colombine o Salmonberry o Woodland Orchard Northeastern United States: o Blue Lobelia o Cardinal Flower o Hollyhock o Red Morning Glory o Salvia o Scarlet Sage Midwest United States: o Coral Bells o Coral Honeysuckle o Foxglove o Hosta o Impatients o Lilac Even though flowers are the natural means to attract hummingbirds to your garden, man-made feeders filled with a mixture of water and sugar (sucrose) are an essential alternative. Sugar, whether from a flower or a feeder, is a necessary nutrient in a hummingbird's diet. Tests have shown that hummingbirds favor sucrose in flower nectar more than other sugars such as fructose and glucose. Therefore, with the proper ratio of ingredients, your feeder becomes a good substitute to the flowers that hummingbirds like best. The formula for the mixture used in hummingbird feeders is 4 parts water (not distilled) to 1 part table sugar. Boil the mixture for one to two minutes, then cool and store in refrigerator. The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. Do not use red food coloring, honey, or artificial sweeteners in your mixture, as this could be harmful to the hummingbirds. If one of your goals is to attract hummingbirds to your garden, a visit to your local nursery is a great starting point. Find an experienced employee who can tell you which species of plants grow well in your area and have a history of successfully attracting hummingbirds. Most importantly, be imaginative and have fun planting and growing your garden to attract beautiful hummingbirds. Lesley Dietschy is a freelance writer and the founder of http://www.HomeDecorExchange.com - The Home Decor Exchange is a valuable website full of information and resources about home and garden decorating. In addition to editing the Home Decor Exchange website, Lesley is a crochet pattern designer and needle fiber artist. You can view her crochet patterns and needle fiber designs at: http://www.ErinOliviaDesigns.Etsy.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Lesley_Dietschy/3127 0 Comments | Leave a Comment Did you find this article helpful? Happy Face0 Sad Face0 Viewed 693 times Word count: 700 Article Tools EzinePublisher Report this article Cite this article Stay Informed Subscribe to New Article Alerts: Home and Family: Gardening Lesley Dietschy Email Address Subscribe We will never sell or rent your email address. Gardening Article Feed Gardening Article Feed Find More Articles Search Similar Articles Gardening - Flower Gardening Flower Gardening Tips Butterfly Flower Gardening Flower Gardening - Grow Edible Flowers Top Tips to Get Started With Flower Gardening Tips To Create A Perfect Flower Garden Building a Raised Bed For Vegetable and Flower Gardening Making Your Homes More Attractive With Flower Gardens Flower Gardening Flower Gardening - Simple and Fun Recent Articles With Spring Upon Us, Time To Make Garden and Landscaping Plans 4 Small Shade Trees That Are Perfect for Any Yard Gardening - The Hardest Vegetables to Grow Herbicides to Use Against Invading Water Chestnuts When Is the Right Time to Start Getting Rid of Lily Pads? What Is Sustainability for Preppers? Children Love to Garden Plant and Prune Between Rainy Days in February in Southern California How to Hire the Best Gardeners Plant Fertilizers: Importance of Micronutrients EzineArticles.com About Us FAQ Contact Us Member Benefits Privacy Policy Shop Site Map Blog Training Video Library Advertising Affiliates Cartoons Authors Submit Articles Members Login Premium Membership Expert Authors Endorsements Editorial Guidelines Terms of Service Publishers Terms Of Service Ezines / Email Alerts Manage Subscriptions EzineArticles RSS © 2017 EzineArticles All Rights Reserved Worldwide