I will never forget walking into the kitchen early one morning when I was about seven. My mother was standing on a chair with a box pressed up against the ceiling and calling for my father to hurry. He entered the kitchen with a plastic bag and a piece of cardboard that he quickly handed to her. She carefully moved the cardboard between the ceiling and the box and handed it down to my father who was waiting to cover it with plastic. Even to a seven year old, it was obvious that there was a treasure in that box.
As he pulled away the cardboard, my father said, “Come see
our visitor.” I peered in the box to see
the tiniest little bird flying about. It
was my first glimpse of a humming bird. I
learned later that my mother and grandfather planned our garden to attract
butterflies. As it turns out, many of
the plants attract both and made our backyard an enchanted place. It was that moment when I began to learn
about the magic of flowers.
It's wonderful that those memories are as fresh today as they were when they happened all those years ago. You can build memories like these for your family too. Give color, fragrance and life to the setting of your home.
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| Rose Mint |
To bring hummingbirds into your yard this year, add the annuals and perennials that are known as their favorites. Many of these are plants are sun lovers. Agastache ‘Rose Mint’ has a Lavender-Rose bloom and fragrant foliage and does best in full sun. So does the beautiful Tropical Mandevilla Crimson Hybrid which will entwine its way on a trellis to beautiful proportions. Of course there are plants that favor a little shade such as the Nicotinia Alata. This lovely plant is sturdy and holds up in weather and various soil conditions. It has a delightful fragrance in both its blooms and leaves. Placed near a door or window, it will make you as happy as it makes your hummingbirds.
There are things to know about your landscape, hummingbirds and other delightful creatures.
Once hummingbirds are aware that your yard
is a home for them, they will return year after year. So design your garden to welcome them. Shrubs like the Strawberry Bush and Flowering
Quince are options to add to your landscape and native to the southeast. The Mimosa or Silk Tree is a favorite
of the hummingbird as are the Redbud, Crab Apple and our own state tree, the Tulip Poplar.
Another thing you must know about our whirling little
friends is that they also need protein. Hummingbirds will do you the favor of eating
spiders and other pests that can be found in your garden. So do not use chemical pesticides. The
chemicals used to kill those pests, may also sicken or even kill the
hummingbirds that eat them.
Now, are you wondering where to begin? We can help.
Call us at Color Burst and we will bring your landscape alive this
spring and help you to design a paradise for the hummingbirds, butterflies and you.
