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Post by brownrexx on Sept 1, 2015 19:42:08 GMT -5
I don't have that bee problem but they make a bee proof feeder with red plastic grids in front of the feeder holes. The hummers can reach beyond the grid but the bees can't.
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Post by Mumsey on Sept 5, 2015 6:24:50 GMT -5
There are a few hummers here, I see them at the canna blooms. They like what petunias are left, and the zinnias. I don't do feeders either.
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Post by brownrexx on Sept 5, 2015 11:31:12 GMT -5
Well I think that my hummers have headed south. I have not seen one at the feeder in days but I am keeping it out for a while in case some passerby needs a snack on his way South.
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Post by desertwoman on Sept 5, 2015 23:33:06 GMT -5
Hummers are still here. Probably another couple of weeks.
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Post by Latitude33 on Sept 7, 2015 19:15:56 GMT -5
Hummers are year round residents with some species overwintering. So I took DW's words to heart...actually they haunt me like an ugly accusation, just saying. ??? So, switching from feeders to hanging baskets does anyone have recommendations for plantings? With our recent discussions on Morning Glory I wonder how they would work in a hanging basket for our flighty friends?
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Post by davidjp on Sept 7, 2015 23:25:32 GMT -5
I don't know about plants for hanging baskets but some of the plants that hummers seem to love around here are any of the salvia. Especially the autumn sages like hotlips and also some of the more native sages as well. You might also want to check out the las pilitas site they have some native recommendations for hummingbird plants
www.laspilitas.com/garden/hummingbird.html
There seems to have been an increase just recently with more brown rufous hummingbirds which are I think on their way south. Black chinned and Anna's and maybe some Allen are still in residence. Over winter we'll just be left with mostly Anna's and maybe an Allen or two. I'm afraid mine are still on the sugar treadmill.
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Post by desertwoman on Sept 7, 2015 23:39:55 GMT -5
I think morning glories would look great in a hanging basket. Also trailing fuchsia, nasturtium, impatiens, petunias and ivy leaf geraniums come to mind
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Post by Eddie on Sept 16, 2015 5:43:27 GMT -5
All the ruby-throated males have left my garden , but the females are still here and they are in a feeding frenzy , getting ready for their annual trip south.
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Post by Latitude33 on May 30, 2017 22:01:30 GMT -5
Fast forward to the year 2017...Conducted a totally unscientific experiment at Casa de Lat. Planted numerous flora reputed to be favored by our flighty friends, as well as added more sugary sweet feeders. No exact count, but I can tell you, the feeders are batting zero this year.
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Post by desertwoman on May 30, 2017 22:37:23 GMT -5
Yup- they much prefer natural nectar. Wise decision on their part. I no longer have feeders. Just hummer friendly plants
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Post by mcool61 on May 31, 2017 16:52:41 GMT -5
My hummers seem to prefer a glass feeder. I have hung several around the property in the past & they always fought over the glass one. As others have noted, natural flowers are the best. For those who want to use a feeder but have ant problems, hang your feeder from fishing line. The thin stuff for a reel. A few feet of monofilament is usually enough to discourage ants. I put a hook in the overhang & tied several feet of line to it so the feeder hangs right in front of the window. I can watch TV & watch humming birds at the same time.
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Honey
Leafing Out
N Calif. (Central Valley) Zone 9b
Posts: 64
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Post by Honey on Aug 1, 2019 11:22:36 GMT -5
Is anyone still watching this thread anymore? I've decided to move all of my veggies over to my "dog's yard" and transforming my view from my bedroom (aka my Window On the World...or WOW) into a colorful hummingbird garden. My computer sits next to my sliding glass door (WOW)that has been covered in mirrored film, so I can see all my birds without them seeing me seeing them! I have two birdbaths out there right up near the glass, one for water and one for birdseed. That is nice for all the little birds like sparrows, mourning doves, and blue jays. I've also got salvia planted in containers and lots of it in all colors. It has attracted regular hummingbird visitors. I have one that literally "visits" me while I water my yard, hovering sometimes so closely to me that I could reach out and touch it! No fear in these tiny guys! They positively delight me!! I'm in Zone 9b, and it gets really HOT HOT HOT in the summertime. I even have to shade my salvia (partial shade) when it gets over 100ºF which it often does during July and August and even into September. As I said, I'm moving my squash, peppers, and tomatoes (in 30 gallon containers) over to the nice, large, straw mulched area for next year, but what other kind of plants shall I choose for my WOW view that hummers LOVE? I'm planning a trip (in person) over to the Annie's Annuals Nursery. They've got some real beauts!! I'm fairly new at this, but can already spot those "sexy" tubular, nectar-filled flowers that draw in the hummers. Shall I ask them for guidance? Heaven knows I need it at this time. I'm such a novice at this. I do know that I want low water perennial flowers that can take the intense heat they'll get up against my back fence with the scorching and unforgiving sun beating down on them all summer long. I found some California Fuchsias that look promising at a Lowe's 45 min. from me. I have them on special order. My WOW is on the North side of my house, so it affords me some shade in the areas adjacent, perfect for the more delicate salvias, but that space is limited and most of these plants will have direct and merciless sun most of the day. So perhaps more desert-originated plants? Any ideas? Latitude33 , desertwoman , brownrexx , datgirl , mcool61 , ahntjudy , OregonRed , claude ,
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Post by datgirl on Aug 1, 2019 11:42:05 GMT -5
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Post by binnylou on Aug 1, 2019 11:48:28 GMT -5
Honey , funny that you should bump this thread. I was sitting here, finishing morning coffee, and I see a hummingbird visiting one of the hay rack planters on the deck railing. We have a feeder (it needs filled again), but right now, there are so many flowers 🌺 blooming in the garden, the hummers are probably not lacking food. The feeder just insures that we get to see them. When in the garden, they get right up close, especially if I’m wearing a bright flowered colored shirt 👚. We really enjoy watching them, and now that life is less hectic, I think we pay more attention to the birds, noticing that each species has its own personality and habits.
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Post by Wheelgarden on Aug 1, 2019 16:24:40 GMT -5
Honey If you can put it in a dedicated spot with some fence or trellising, Cypress Vine, aka Butterfly Vine ( Ipomoea quamoclit) is a hummingbird magnet. Hundreds of little, scarlet, tubular flowers that the hummers love, and it is very heat-and-drought tolerant. Nice ferny foliage, too. An annual here in zone 7b, but re-seeds like crazy, hence the need for a dedicated spot.
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