Garden Hummingbird Garden W
ho doesn’t love hummingbirds? They are the tiny feathered jewels of the bird world, able to fly like a helicopter pattern. Beating up, down, sideways, front, and back and even upside down! Hummers are also able to hover by flapping their wings in a figure-8 pattern. Beating about 80 times per second, their wings make a humming noise, thus the hummingbird’s name. There are approximately 332 species of hummingbirds that are found only in the Americas, and only the Ruby-throat is normally seen here in North Carolina. Occasionally the Rufous-sided hummer visits our area in the winter. For two consecutive years, my husband Ron and I were lucky enough to have a Rufous visit our feeders all winter long. We spent many hours watching her out our
BY DOLORES MULLER N.C. Cooperative Extension Service Master Gardener Volunteer
22 | SAND& PINE MAGAZINE April/May 2022
kitchen window as she enjoyed the nectar at our feeder. On cold nights, we kept it from freezing by attaching tiny Christmas lights under it. The main source of food for hummingbirds are insects, which are rich in protein. Planting many of their favorite flowers will attract them to your yard. Tubular flowers, such as salvias (sage) and honeysuckle contain the most nectar and are a hummingbird favorite. Other flowers they enjoy are bee balm, cardinal flower, catmint, agastache, columbine, penstemon, hosta, impatiens, petunias and foxglove. By planting a variety of their favorite flowers and augmenting them with hummingbird feeders, you can make your yard an oasis for hummingbirds. And you will be the envy of your neighborhood.
