DIY Network

Garden Wildlife: Butterflies and Hummingbirds Attracting nature's "living jewels" to your backyard. From "Dirt On Gardening" episode DDOG-111

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Impatiens are a good choice for attracting both hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden.

Plants for Attracting Hummingbirds:

Hummingbirds feed off of a wide variety of flowers, but seem particularly attracted to red blossoms. Here are some suggestions of plants for attracting hummingbirds:

• Abelia
  
• Daphne
  
• Fuschia
  
• Rhododendron
  
• azalea
  
• flowering quince
  
• California lilac
  
• Oregon grape
  
• mock orange
  
• pomegranate

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Figure E

Hummingbird Feeders

Hummingbird feeders (figure E) that hold artificial nectar are a great way to attract hummingbirds to a specific place for easy viewing--such as near a kitchen window, deck or patio--and supplement their natural food source. Hanging hummingbird feeders in several locations around your yard during the late spring and summer months supplements the supply of nectar that these tiny flying acrobats feed on, and will help keep them nearby where you can observe their fascinating behavior.

Hummingbird feeders and commercially prepared "instant nectar" mix are typically available at garden supply centers, nurseries and specialty bird-feeding stores.

Here's a recipe for creating artificial nectar for your hummingbird feeder. This simple mixture mimics the flower nectar on which the birds dine.

• Mix 1/4 c. sugar and 1 c. warm water in a cup or jar.
  
• Stir briskly with a spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved.
  
• Allow the mixture to cool.
  
• Pour the mixture into a clean hummingbird or oriole feeder.
  
• Cover any unused nectar and refrigerate. You can keep it in this way for up to five days.

For larger feeders, you can simply increase amount of water and sugar, being sure to keep the same ratio of four parts water to one part sugar.

Be sure to change the nectar frequently--every five to seven days, and more often in warm weather--replacing it with a new, fresh batch. Avoid hanging feeders in direct sunlight as this will cause nectar to spoil more quickly.

Avoid using red food coloring or other artificial dyes in the mixture, as some people once did, as some dyes can be harmful to the birds. (Some commercially prepared hummingbird-nectar mixes use a hummingbird-safe red coloring.) Also, use only ordinary white table sugar, not honey or other types of sugar.

Seed-Eating Birds

Using a birdfeeder or feeding station to offer a variety of seeds--like sunflower, niger, safflower, and millet--will attract a wide range of seed-eating birds to your backyard or garden. Birds have evolved with specialized diets, and certain bird species will dine on particular types of seed, ignoring other types completely. Sunflower seeds, for example, are perfect for attracting cardinals, but will also attract blue jays and squirrels. The elusive and beautiful goldfinch prefers tiny black thistle seed. Offering a prepared mix with a variety of seeds is the simplest way to ensure that your feeder will be visited by a wide range of bird species.

Other Backyard Birdwatcher Tips