Attract Hummingbirds - All Season Long

The old adage “If you build it, they will come” is as true for hummingbirds as it is for the ghosts of beloved baseball players.
During migration, a hummingbird’s heart beats up to 1,260 times a minute, and its wings flap 15 to 80 times a second! It goes without saying that they need to consume a tremendous amount of calories to complete their long migration journey. If hummingbirds do not visit your garden during their migration or if you only observe hummingbirds in your garden during short periods , it is likely that you aren’t offering them what they need.
Hummingbird Central’s interactive sighting and migration map follows hummingbird sightings and migration patterns.

Photo courtesy of The Hummingbird Society

The Hummingbird Society (I love that they have their own Society) shares information on the best flowers, flower types and other ways to encourage hummingbird visitors.

#1 - Keep something in bloom continuously during the time hummingbirds are expected in you area. Native plants are a good place to start, but don't limit yourself. Much effort has gone into developing flowers that hummingbirds love!  The experts at your local garden center can advise you on what to plant in your yard to provide a full season of hummingbird food.

#2 - Hummingbird’s favorite flowers usually, but not always have long, tubular blossoms that are red, orange, yellow or blue.

#3 - A combination of flowers and feeders will help support the hummingbird migration and keep them returning to your yard year after year. That being said, the nectar recipe is critical to the health their health. It is important to their health that you DO NOT use red food coloring.

Natural Hummingbird Nectar recipes are available online, but a simple natural nectar recipe is just 1 cup of white cane sugar and 3-4 cups of spring water.

If you are considering adding a Hummingbird Feeder to your garden, the Hummingbird Society also has a list of 16 Tips for Hummingbird Feeders.