My leukemia's back.

[Blooie]

Woo hoo! Rachel's got a Short Timer's Calendar going!!

 

[3goodeggs]

Blooie, I have butterfly and bee plants in my bee garden, What should I plant for hummers?

Rachel, sorry. I've turned your thread into a chit-chat thread. I imagine you are still sleeping.
I hope you are anyway.
Sleep is so wonderful -especially when you need it.

 

[N F C]

@3goodeggs ,
Don't mean to butt in with a question you asked of Blooie, but I looked this list up a while ago. Since we're in the same general area of FL, thought it might be helpful to you.

Recommended Plants for Attracting Hummingbirds in Central Florida
Agastache spp. Agastache
Antirrhinum spp. Snapdragon
Aquelegia canadensis Native Columbine (N)
Asclepias sp. Milkweeds (N)
Bignonia capreolata Crossvine (N)
Buddleia davidii Butterfly Bush
Calliandra spp. Powderpuff
Callistemon lanceolatus Bottlebrush
Campsis radicans Trumpet Creeper Vine (N)
Cleome spp. Spiderflower
Cuphea spp. Candy Corn, Starfire, Cigar Plant
Dianthus barbatus Sweet William
Erythrina herbacea Coral Bean (N)
Gloxinia sellovii Hardy Red Gloxinia
Gloxinia syvatica Bolivian Sunset
Hamelia patens Firebush (N)
Iochroma cyaneum Skyflower Bush
Ipomopsis rubra Standing Cypress (N)
Justicia sp. Shrimp Plant (red and yellow)
Leonotis leonurus Lion’s Mane
Lobelia cardinalis Cardinalflower (N)
Lonicera sempervirens Coral Honeysuckle
Malvaviscus sp. Turks Cap (red)
Monarda punctata Dotted Horsemint (N)
Nicotiana spp. Flowering Tobacco
Odontonema cuspidate Firespike
Pachystachys coccinea Cardinals Guard
Penstemon spp. Penstemons
Pentas lanceolata Tall Red Pentas
Phlox spp. Phlox
Salvia spp. Salvias (sages)
Stachtarpheta spp. Porterweeds
Tecomaria capensis Cape Honeysuckle
Tithonia rotundifolia Mexican Sunflower
Verbena bonariensis Verbena
Veronica Speedwell

 

[Blooie]

I have a rule, 3good - if it doesn't attract hummingbirds I don't plant it. I'm going to be using the space for flowers anyway so I might as well stick to those that serve two purposes for me - nice to look at and hummers, hummers, hummers.

In hanging baskets and pots on and around the deck, I like
Shrimp Plants (My all time favorite. I have one that's now 5 years old - I bring it in and cut it back for winter. Hummer magnet)
Lantana
Wave Petunias
Skull cap
Sweet potato vine
Coleus
Million Bells
Geraniums
Verbena

The big whiskey barrel planter always has
Penstemon
Pineapple Sage
Blue Knight Sage
Lantana

In the flower beds I have
Crocomesia
Lupine
Delphinium
Columbine
Bee Balm
Reblooming Day Lilies - and yes, they attract hummers in, even though they don't feed on them a lot)
Phlox
Cardinal Climber
Yarrow
Russian Sage
Honeysuckle (the non-invasive ones)
Butterfly Bushes

Those are the constants. Then I pop in whatever else I like as fillers. Many plants that attract butterflies also attract hummers.

 

[sourland]

The countdown is on.

 

[3goodeggs]

@3goodeggs ,
Don't mean to butt in with a question you asked of Blooie, but I looked this list up a while ago. Since we're in the same general area of FL, thought it might be helpful to you.

Recommended Plants for Attracting Hummingbirds in Central Florida
Agastache spp. Agastache
Antirrhinum spp. Snapdragon
Aquelegia canadensis Native Columbine (N)
Asclepias sp. Milkweeds (N)
Bignonia capreolata Crossvine (N)
Buddleia davidii Butterfly Bush
Calliandra spp. Powderpuff
Callistemon lanceolatus Bottlebrush
Campsis radicans Trumpet Creeper Vine (N)
Cleome spp. Spiderflower
Cuphea spp. Candy Corn, Starfire, Cigar Plant
Dianthus barbatus Sweet William
Erythrina herbacea Coral Bean (N)
Gloxinia sellovii Hardy Red Gloxinia
Gloxinia syvatica Bolivian Sunset
Hamelia patens Firebush (N)
Iochroma cyaneum Skyflower Bush
Ipomopsis rubra Standing Cypress (N)
Justicia sp. Shrimp Plant (red and yellow)
Leonotis leonurus Lion’s Mane
Lobelia cardinalis Cardinalflower (N)
Lonicera sempervirens Coral Honeysuckle
Malvaviscus sp. Turks Cap (red)
Monarda punctata Dotted Horsemint (N)
Nicotiana spp. Flowering Tobacco
Odontonema cuspidate Firespike
Pachystachys coccinea Cardinals Guard
Penstemon spp. Penstemons
Pentas lanceolata Tall Red Pentas
Phlox spp. Phlox
Salvia spp. Salvias (sages)
Stachtarpheta spp. Porterweeds
Tecomaria capensis Cape Honeysuckle
Tithonia rotundifolia Mexican Sunflower
Verbena bonariensis Verbena
Veronica Speedwell

I have all the ones in Bold.
Where are my hummers?
I need a neon sign with a big finger pointing to my garden.

 

[3goodeggs]

I have a rule, 3good - if it doesn't attract hummingbirds I don't plant it. I'm going to be using the space for flowers anyway so I might as well stick to those that serve two purposes for me - nice to look at and hummers, hummers, hummers.

In hanging baskets and pots on and around the deck, I like
Shrimp Plants (My all time favorite. I have one that's now 5 years old - I bring it in and cut it back for winter. Hummer magnet)
Lantana
Wave Petunias
Skull cap
Sweet potato vine
Coleus
Million Bells
Geraniums
Verbena

The big whiskey barrel planter always has
Penstemon
Pineapple Sage
Blue Knight Sage
Lantana

In the flower beds I have
Crocomesia
Lupine
Delphinium
Columbine
Bee Balm
Reblooming Day Lilies - and yes, they attract hummers in, even though they don't feed on them a lot)
Phlox
Cardinal Climber
Yarrow
Russian Sage
Honeysuckle (the non-invasive ones)
Butterfly Bushes

Those are the constants. Then I pop in whatever else I like as fillers. Many plants that attract butterflies also attract hummers.

I SHOULD have hummers!

I do like yarrow, so I will start some of that. Some of those others won't do well here.
I would love to grow Delphinium, but sadly it wants more cooler temps or something.
I like the blue night sage, I have not seen it here, but I will look for seeds.

 

[Blooie]

And doggone it, how did I forget to mention my hollyhocks! They love the singles, not the lacy double petal ones. Oh, and my Four o'Clocks. Okay, I think I'm done. I'd wager you have a couple and just haven't seen them.

The first year I saw a hummingbird I got so excited! I ran down and bought a feeder and the little packets of hummingbird mix to put in it. Never saw a hummer again. So I brought it in when fall rolled around, cleaned it carefully, and put it away until the next season. Sure enough, saw a hummingbird in late May. I found the feeder right where I'd left it, rinsed it well, filled and hung it. He never came back.

Come fall I forgot to take the feeder in. It hung there all winter, covered in snow and being tossed around by the wind. Wouldn't you know, late spring I was sitting out on the deck reading and I heard that familiar buzz. I ran out to the tree, grabbed that feeder, brought it and cleaned it (not an easy process since it had been ignored all winter) and since I had no more premixed food left I made my own mixture. I carried it outside and he was right there - fed off that feeder as I was carrying it out to the tree. From that day on, we've been inundated. Some years we have more than others.....year before last we had them like flies but last year not so many. It varies from year to year. If the wildflowers are abundant up in the mountains, that's where they stay until late June. So I can see them here anytime from May to July, but once they're here, they stick around. Had a black-chinned one year that didn't leave until November 3.

When my yard was certified, the National Wildlife Federation sent out a press release to the closest local newspaper. Dave, who owns the Lovell Chronicle and happens to be a good friend of ours, called me and asked to send Brad out to do a story. After it came out, I can't tell you how many people came up to me and said, "I didn't know we even had hummingbirds in this area! Never saw one before! " That was a bad year for me- suddenly there were feeders in every yard in every town the paper serves. <sigh> Disloyal little boogers! But they do come back.
http://www.stpns.net/view_article.html?articleId=42848688641014881

 

[N F C]

I have all the ones in Bold.
Where are my hummers?
I need a neon sign with a big finger pointing to my garden.

I think your hummers are here at my house. Want me to send them your way?

 

[N F C]

@Blooie , great article! I didn't know they would like a water feature, love to see a hummer taking a bath. Congrats on getting your certification!