Tuesday, April 27, 2010

First Hummingbird!

Gosh, it must be nearly summer as i saw a flitting hummingbird this morning. I rushed into the closet and dug out the beautiful feeder my sister in law got us for Christmas, filled it with some "nectar" and hung it on my husband's gourd arbor. Hopefully the hummingbird will return soon to find the snack i've left out for it.

We generally get hummingbirds here at the homestead: they like the salvias, sage, and other bright orange flowers. The most attrative thing to hummingbirds i've ever grown, however is mexican sunflower or Torch Tithonia. These flowers are GORGEOUS. Tall and sprawly like multi-flowered sunflowers, but the flowers are more daisylike and come in bright colors like fushia and orange. I haven't succeeded in growing any tithonia at this house, sadly. The rental we lived in before this had two large bedroom windows along a long, flat, southern facing wall. I planted mammoth sunflowers and tithonia with the most success i've ever had with sunflowers. The mammoths got at least 15 feet tall, and the tithonia went CRAZY, attracting hummingbirds right to our window where we could watch them fluttering about. It was quite magical and i wish i could get the stinkers to grow here. I don't really have a sunny enough, protected area that gets regular water.


So for now, enjoy this pretend nectar, hummingbird friends.
  • 1 part sugar
  • 4 parts water
  • Bring to a boil, cool, pour into feeder. Change regularly.

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