Planning with hummingbirds in mind

By Melanie Mathieson
Gardening Guru

Like butterflies and bees, hummingbirds also use flower nectar as their food source and pollinate other plants. But unlike butterflies, hummingbirds, are attracted to nectar sources by sight rather than scent. Red is the most attractive colour to a hummingbird, and causes an automatic response of investigation that even non-flowering, objects such as clothing, garden ornaments or umbrellas have been known to attract a quick inspection from a hummingbird. With that in mind when planning a garden in which you would like to attract hummingbirds, you need to plant some flowering plants in the red colour range which also includes orange and the bright pink, like fuchsia.
Many gardeners will fill a hummingbird feeder with the signature red-tinted sugar water in hopes of feeding and attracting the bird. While the feeder does supply energy to the bird, a hummingbird still needs plant nectar in order to get all the vitamins and nutrients that it needs to survive, especially when rearing chicks back at the nest. Despite their petite size hummingbirds have a voracious appetite for nectar throughout the entire season. By planting some preferred plants in your garden not only will your feeder supply food, but also the important nutrients of nectar can be found close by.
Once attracted to your garden by flowers from the red family the hummingbirds will also be attracted to flowers in other colour families. You will see humming birds in a butterfly garden but you can enhance your frequency and attractiveness with a few choice plants specifically intended for the hummingbird.
One of the easiest ways to attract humming birds is to plant a climbing flowering vine on a trellis. This can be easily placed in the garden without necessarily disrupting another colour or planting theme you have already established. Trumpet vine guarantees many hummingbirds will visit, but don’t forget to look for some hybrids in clematis which now has burgundy or fuchsia coloured flower, but climbing honeysuckles and morning glories are also good choices. The trellis can be used as a screen around the air-conditioner, utility boxes and poles, camouflage the composter or an unsightly fence or gate. Or create an arbour as the entrance to your yard or garden. Be creative!
You may have a garden colour scheme that does not include red, already in place. How do you attract humming birds then? There are a few creative ways to incorporate hummingbird attracting flowers without totally disrupting an established colour theme. Fortunately red can be placed as a complimentary or opposite colour to every colour that gardeners will have. Red with purple (or blue) is fantastic. Red with yellow or orange just boosts the “heat” in those “hot” colours. Red with white (or light pinks) also looks great combined. And my very favourite, a background of greenery like ferns or hostas with bright red flowers in front! Remember that the red flowers can be substituted with fuchsia or orange to attract hummingbirds as well. Hummingbird attracting annuals can be planted in containers and strategically placed in the yard as well. Also think about adding some border plants either in the front or back of your garden and change the overall appearance just with the addition of a border. You can add some of the lower growing perennials or annuals, listed below, to edge the garden or create a backdrop at the rear of the garden by using some of the taller plants or adding a fence or trellis with a vine. Also keep in mind when selecting flowers that you have some flowers in the attracting colours blooming throughout the season. You can establish this by combining annuals and perennials. Flowers, with a tubular shape, are preferred by the little birds so you can mix up a few colours and species as well. Again a reminder that if you are trying to attract more birds and good insects to your garden, not to use pesticides and herbicides. The more organic your practices, the more “good” insects, birds and wildlife you will attract to your garden. Below is a listing of preferred plants for the hummingbird.
Perennials: garden phlox, lilies, day lilies, pinks, Dianthus, sweet William, monkshood, honeysuckle, trumpet vine, Lychnis (companion flower), columbine, hollyhock, larkspur, morning glories, bell flower, foxglove, globe thistle, bearded iris, coral bells, Lupin, bee balm, catmint, poppy, beardtongue, sage (Salvia), delphinium.
Annuals: poppies, snapdragons, cosmos, petunias, salvia, geraniums, scarlet runner beans, gerbera daisy.
Shrubs: butterfly bush, lilac, flowering currants, azalea, honeysuckle, Caragana, Cotoneaster.