It is that time of year again: time to find a Christmas present for the gardener or the wildlife enthusiast in the family. That may or may not be the same person.
Ask any gardener if they want hummingbirds in their garden. They will all say yes. Many flowers attract hummingbirds. Red ones are great; tube-shaped ones are even better; and red, tube-shaped ones are best.
Monarda is the common name and genus of a hummingbird magnet. Lobelia is the common name and genus of another hummingbird magnet that grows best in wet soils. Other perennials that attract hummingbirds are agastache, canna, columbine, coral bell, foxglove, lupine and phlox. Annuals include fuschia, lantana, morning glory, petunia, salvia and zinnia.
What happens if the gardener doesn't have much room for new plants? A hummingbird feeder will attract hummingbirds all season long, while many of the flowers only attract them for a few weeks when they are blooming. You will see many very pretty glass hummingbird feeders being sold at this time of year. Unfortunately, many of them are better at attracting ants, bees and wasps.
If the sugar water is stored above the portholes, then it can drip out of the feeder. Insects with short tongues can access the sugar water as it drips. Hummingbird feeders that are shaped like flying saucers have the nectar below the portholes so the feeder doesn't drip. The saucer-shaped feeders don't allow insect pests to feed, while hummingbirds with long beaks and long tongues have no problem getting as much as they want.
If you want to hang pretty glass jars from your trees, go ahead. If you want to feed hummingbirds with them, then add a nectar guard to the end of the tube so that the insects have a hard time getting to the sugar water.
Even though hummingbirds are attracted to red things, the nectar in flowers is not red. The sugar water solution doesn't need to be red. It is actually easy to make the sugar water for the feeder. Just remember the 4-to-1 ratio. Four parts water to one part sugar is clearly right, while four parts sugar to one part water is not.
Make a gift basket of seed packets of flowers that hummingbirds like, a saucer-shaped hummingbird feeder and a bag of sugar, and throw in a bird book for good measure. Or, add a gift card to a local garden center so they can get a potted perennial that attracts hummingbirds.
Speaking of adding a book for good measure, how about adding one of the fun gardening books by author Carol Michel? She has written five books that give humorous gardening advice. Her motto is, "If your neighbors don't think you're a little crazy, you need to up your gardening game." All of her books have won an award or two. The books have humorous vignettes of a gardener's life, plus real gardening tips. Beginning and experienced gardeners will enjoy seeing themselves in the short stories.
She also has a pair of children's books based on rabbits, "The Halloween Hare" and "The Christmas Cottontail," which are also award-winning. Find out more about all of Carol's books at caroljmichel.com or on Amazon.
DIST. BY CREATORS.COM
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