Enticing Hummingbirds

By Trillium Dollars

A flash of harmless lightning,
A mist of rainbow dyes,
The burnished sunbeams brightening
From flower to flower he flies.
By John Banister Tabb

The tiny sweet-hunters chirrr, chase and dive for nectar like there's no tomorrow.

But there will be, thanks to the honeysuckle, lilies, cape fuchsia (Phygelius) and Verbena bonariensis tucked around my garden. So the hummingbirds will continue to dine well.

Hummer sipping at 'Chicken House' honeysuckle
(photographed by Paul Colvin)

What else gives hummingbirds a sugar fix at this time of year? Perennials such as crocosmia, blanketflower (Gaillardia grandiflora), hyssop, bee balm (Monarda didyma) and rudbeckia (gloriosa daisy) are long-flowering, low-maintenance magnets. Annuals like hollyhocks, geraniums (Pelargonium), sage (Salvia), Nicotiana sylvestris and zinnias are treats, too.

There's even a flowering vegetable that lures them: scarlet runner beans.

Plant a few of the above and watch the hummingbirds go crazy in your garden, too.

--Trillium Dollars