Driving your message home – new specialty license plate for Virginia

I didn’t used to believe in putting bumper stickers or specialty license plates on my car. But then I realized what a great opportunity  I was passing up  to spread the word about eco-friendly gardening.

If you are a “green gardener” in Virginia, you  have the opportunity to help encourage others to create eco-friendly gardening for pollinators.

This beautiful specialty tag is enough to make anyone want to attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds to their yard, and we all know that means getting rid of chemicals and planting more native plants!

Here’s the info I read on the Virginia Native Plant Society Facebook page:

A group of local nature lovers is hoping to attract support for a new Virginia license plate with the inscription “Protect Pollinators.” The plate is meant to bring attention to the role pollinators — bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, etc. — play in supporting the vitality of the earth’s ecosystem and food supply.

“So far we’ve had quite a lot of interest from Beekeepers, Master Gardeners, Naturalists (including native plant and pollinator enthusiasts), and the Audubon Society,” said pollinator plate organizer Samantha Gallagher. “Like all of the proposed new Virginia plates, we need 450 applicants, the General Assembly’s vote, and the DMV’s approval.”

According to the Virginia Pollinator Plate web site, supporters have signed up 44 people so far. They need another 406 commitments by November 2012 to move on to getting legislative and DMV support. An electronic application can be found here.

Gallagher says the purpose of the plate is not to raise money, but to raise awareness.
“Our plate costs $10 annually and isn’t a shared revenue plate, but our hope is that it provokes interest and conversation in pollinator conservation,” she said.

For more information about the Pollinator Plate, visit the Virginia Pollinator Plates website or visit them on Facebook

For more information about attracting pollinators to your yard, here are some related posts:

• Enjoying the Birds and Bees in Your Own Backyard – Attracting Pollinators
• Gardening for Hummingbirds
• Plants to Attract Hummingbirds
• Create a Butterfly Garden

Number one reason to plant trees: Hummingbirds Love Them

I’ve been running a poll on this blog and on our Facebook page, asking why people plant trees. To go along with it, I started a post this morning listing the benefits of trees. Well, the list just kept growing and growing and growing so I haven’t gotten it finished just yet.

In the meantime, I wanted to share one of the main reasons I love trees – they attract hummingbirds!

People sometimes ask me how they can attract hummingbirds to their property and I often mention that they should plant a tree. Yes, hummingbirds are attracted to certain tree species that have nectar flowers, but they also love having trees that provide them with a place that they can sit and keep an eye on their “domain”. Hummingbirds are very territorial and they love to sit in a tree and overlook the other hummingbird plants in your garden or the feeders that you place out for them. As soon as they see a rival hummingbird appear, they will immediately swoop down and chase them away, and then return to their perch in the tree.

They also eat gnats and other small insects that fly around trees and certain species have been known to eat sap that oozes  from holes created in trees by woodpeckers and sapsuckers. Hummingbirds also typically nest in trees.

The first time I saw a hummingbird sitting in one of our oak trees, I was in complete awe. And I have to admit that I spent a good part of that summer moving a ten foot ladder around my yard and taking thousands of photos of those little guys.

So, the number one reason that I will ALWAYS recommend that people plant trees is, hummingbirds love them!

Gardening for Hummingbirds

Plants to Attract Hummingbirds

A Year’s Worth of Eco-friendly Events and Garden Tips

Bookmark this list or print it out! You won’t want to miss these eco-friendly events and garden tips for 2012.

January –

• Celebrate National Bird Day on January 5, 2012 by setting out bird seed for our fine feathered friends and planning your summer wildlife garden.

February –

• February 6^th – 12^th, 2012 is Go Green Week – a national week of action on climate change in schools, colleges and universities. It’s a great week to start planning a butterfly garden with your kids.
• Become a Citizen Scientist by participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count – February 17-20^th, 2012

March -

• World Water Day is March 22, 1012 - International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. Mark the day by adding a few rain barrels to your landscape.

April –

• April is National Garden Month – Every April communities, organizations, and individuals nationwide celebrate gardening during National Garden Month. Trends for 2012 point to more and more gardeners choosing eco-friendly options.
• April 15-21, 2012 – National Environmental Education Week - dedicated to increasing the environmental literacy of K-12 students. Do your part to help grow your own Environmentalist.
• April 22, 2012 – Earth Day – Creating an eco-friendly garden is a great way to celebrate the earth every day.

May –

• May is National Wetlands Month - Support and promote wetlands by informing community members about wetlands' vital roles, "adopting" a wetland, joining a local watershed group, or participating in a wetland monitoring, restoration, or cleanup project. There are many other actions Americans can take to help conserve wetlands. To learn more about what you can do to help protect and restore these valuable natural resources in your state or local area, visit What You Can Do to Protect and Restore Wetlands.
• National Public Gardens Day – May 11, 2012 – a celebration of botanical gardens, arboreta, and other public gardens takes place.

June -

• Create a garden to attract pollinators for National Pollinator Week – June 24^th – 30^th (always last week in June)
• World Environment Day – June 5^th, 2012 - World Environment Day is an annual event that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. Celebrate the day by making a pledge to eliminate chemicals from your landscape.

July -

• July is smart irrigation month – Find a watersense irrigation contractor to help tune-up your irrigation system.
• Nude Recreation Week is July 9^th – 15^th 2012 (link is censored – you’ll have to Google that one yourself!) – time for some Bare Naked Gardening

August –

• August is National Water Quality Month. Learn how eco-friendly gardening helps to protect local water supplies.

September

• September 11. 2012 is Protect Your Groundwater Day. Eliminating chemicals, using rain barrels, and picking up after pets are all great ways to protect the groundwater.
• Pollution Prevention Week – July 16^th – 22^nd, 2012 (third full week in September) This week is an opportunity for individuals, businesses, and government to emphasize and highlight their pollution prevention and sustainability activities and achievements, expand current pollution prevention efforts, and commit to new actions.

October –

• October 4, 2012 – World Animal Day - In the garden, Invite the critters. Whether you want to attract butterflies, hummingbirds, beneficial insects other pollinators or wonderful wriggling worms, eco-friendly gardening is your first step.
• Make a Difference Day – 4^th Saturday in October – Acts of kindness can come from the garden, too.

November -

• America Recycles Day – November 15^th - Since 1997, communities across the country have come together on November 15 to celebrate America Recycles Day - the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling in the United States. Creating compost is a great way to recycle in the garden.

December-

• Christmas Bird Count – December 16^th – January 5^th? Since the 12^th annual Christmas Bird Count is still under way, the dates for the 13^th annual count may not be set yet. But participating is a great way to prove that our eco-friendly gardening efforts are making a difference.

Seeds Bombs: For or Against?

As a garden blogger, there are a couple of topics I tend to shy away from because opinions on both sides of the topic are so strong. Cats, for instance. Many gardeners love cats in the garden. Others feel just as strongly against them. Same thing with deer.

And a third topic, and one that has been getting a little bit of “news play” lately, is seed bombs and guerilla gardening. Normally, I would stay away from this controversial topic, too. Except for the fact that I think that seed bombs can be harmful to the environment.

I wrote about guerrilla gardening back in February of 2011. I admit that part of my problem with both guerrilla gardening and seed bombs are the words, themselves. (Back in my hippy days, I used to get together with a group of people that discussed things like words that brought violent thoughts to mind, and those two words just do, to me.)

Anyway, Frederick Maryland resident Brian Slagle has been in the newspaper and even on TV lately because of the seed bombs that he makes and sells online and at local stores. Apparently, they are a hot item for Christmas.

I was ALMOST swayed to change my opinion about seed bombs when I was reading the article about him on CBS Baltimore.com. I read about how these bombs of wildflower seeds, thrown into vacant lots and bare land, can attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. ‘Ahhhh,’ I thought. ‘More hummingbirds and bees and butterflies!’

But here is my concern with seed bombs. The whole point of seed bombs are to grow things on other people’s property. The online video on TBD.com even shows a picture of Slagle’s kids throwing the bombs onto a piece of property bearing a sign that says Private Property – No Dumping Allowed. WHAT IF THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THAT PROPERTY DON’T WANT THE PLANTS THERE AND USE CHEMICAL HERBICIDES TO KILL THEM? Even using a gas mower to mow the plants down puts pollutants into the air. And if the local government comes in to mow or clean up the property, who do you think pays for that?

I do understand the principle behind taking over a vacant lot and planting vegetables or other plants, IF YOU TAKE responsibility for the care and maintenance of the plants. But seed bombs are something else all together.

My suggestion for seed bombs is this: Plant native plants on your property to attract birds. They will eat the berries and seeds and create their own seed bombs when they poop them out across the city.

And if you want to spread the joy and beauty of flowers, by giving seed bombs or other seed packets, encourage people to plant them in their own yard. If they want to know more about the joys or gardening for bees, butterflies or hummingbirds, I’ll be happy to tell them.

Nightmares for Nature Nerds

I woke up in the middle of the night the other evening having a nightmare. In it, someone was chasing a hummingbird around my yard with a can of bug spray, trying to kill it. I was yelling and screaming at the person, trying to get them to realize the horrible thing they were doing.

The dream was a pretty good reflection of my life. I spend a lot of time trying to encourage people to be a little more aware of how their actions impact all of the living things in their gardens.

But like most dreams, there was something that had put the thought of dead hummingbirds into my mind, where it found its way into my dreams.

Last week, I found some photos on someone's blog of a hummingbird flying to a feeder where a large praying mantis was sitting. It was on the Birds 'N Such Blog, created by Alan Pulley of Norfolk Virginia.

I began reading the post, about how he was watching the hummingbird fly up towards the mantis, and already my mind was screaming "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

Well, you all probably know how much I love hummingbirds. They are like tiny little flying miracles to me. They bring me joy every time I see one. AND, I knew that praying mantises can eat hummingbirds.

I know it seems hard to believe, but its true. After first reading that statement, years ago, I did some online research and found both photos and videos of praying mantises killing hummingbirds.

That is one reason I never mention Praying Mantises as  beneficial insects, even though they are great at devouring a lot of bad insects in our yards. The unpleasant truth is, they don't stop with insects and will be happy to kill a beautiful little hummingbird if given the opportunity.

The whole thought of it is so sad to me, that I'm not  going to provide any links to  the many gory photos you can on-line. Feel free to search for praying mantis and hummingbirds if you want. But some of the photos are bad enough to cause nightmares for real nature nerds.

It's just another reminder  that you really have to be careful of everything you do in your yard and garden. Alan  made the choice of relocating his feeder. The last time I found a praying mantis, I made the choice of moving the mantis. In any case, no matter how you do it, I encourage you to watch out for the critters! As an eco-friendly gardener, the responsibility comes with the territory.

Now I need to figure out what the nightmare I had about hawks being trapped in my attic was all about. At least it wasn't bats in my belfry.

Related Post: Gardening for Hummingbirds

Eco-Friendly Tips for the Summer Landscape

I thought this great scarecrow that my friends Jim and Glennie Duke made was a fitting illustration for my first day of summer post.

Jim and Glennie also created the cute scarecrow couple in my post about Scarecrows and Other Natural Bird Control.

For Summer tips, I've chosen some from The University of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center e-newsletter and added links to some of my previous articles on the subjects.

The entire Extension Center Newsletter can be downloaded here, in pdf format.









Tips for Summer Landscape Care
• Follow proper mowing techniques to help your lawn through the dog days of summer.

• For crabgrass and other summer weeds, try eco-friendly options for weed control or try some Zen weeding.

• Mid-August through mid-October is the best time to start new lawns and renovate or overseed existing lawns. Maryland Extension recommends a turf-type tall fescue cultivar at a rate of 4 lbs. of seed per 1,000 sq. ft. of area for overseeding, or 8 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. for new lawns. If your lawn area contains more than 50% weeds, consider a total lawn renovation. Newly seeded turf must be watered regularly. (HG 102) . Click here to learn more about Selecting Turfgrass. This post on the University of California website will allow you to find more detailed information on each species: Information about Turfgrass Species.

• Keep newly planted trees or shrubs well watered through dry weather this summer. Thoroughly soak the root ball every few days. A 2-3 inch layer of mulch is helpful. Keep mulch away from the trunk or stem.

• Attract beneficial insects to your landscape by planting a wide variety of flowering annuals and perennials that will bloom over the entire growing season. Good choices are plants in the following families: daisy (marigolds, daises, asters, mums), carrot (dill, fennel, anise, yarrow, parsley) and mint (all mints and thymes).

• Slugs are found on all types of flowering plants. Feeding damage ranges from just a few holes to the entire plant stripped of its foliage in a few nights. Slime trails are a definitive sign of slug activity. Trap with shallow pans of yeast added to water or beer, then discard. Diatomaceous earth, sharp sand or ground crab and oyster shell can also be applied around plants as physical barriers.

• Control weeds by laying down entire sections of newspaper covered with straw or last fall’s mulched leaves.

• Cut back herbs through the summer to keep plants bushy and productive. Essential oils are most concentrated right before bloom. Don’t fertilize herbs as it encourages succulent growth and dilutes essential oils.

• It’s time to begin thinking of fall vegetables. Plant broccoli and cauliflower seed in containers the 3rd to 4th week in June for transplanting into the ground mid July through mid August.

• Earthworms are a sign of healthy soil and are normally seen in the greatest numbers in fall and spring. Adding organic matter in the form of composted leaves, manure, grass clippings, etc. will improve soil structure and attract earthworms.

• Select shredded pine bark or hardwood mulches, not wood chips, for use around your home to minimize the possibility of attracting termites. Avoid any mulches that contain chunks of wood.

• Summer is snake mating season, their most active time of year. Snakes are beneficial creatures and should not be harmed. The most likely encountered large snake is the Black Rat Snake. It can grow to be about 5 feet long and is found in both rural and suburban areas.

• Rabbits can be a destructive nuisance in flower and vegetable gardens, feeding on young and tender plants. They can be excluded with a low, 2 ft. high fence that is secured to the ground. You can also repel them with commercial repellents, bloodmeal, or by sprinkling hot pepper flakes around plants. Or, you can just accept them for the great organic weed control that they provide.

• Prevent deer from feeding on garden and landscape plants, by applying a repellent, such as “Deer-Away”, “Liquid Fence”, “Deer-Off”, “Hinder” or “Ro-Pel” to vulnerable plants. Polywire fencing connected to an inexpensive, solar-powered charger can successfully exclude groundhogs and deer.

• As the summer progresses and temperatures rise and rainfall decreases, cool season lawns usually become dormant. Dormancy is a normal plant response causing them to stop growing and turn brown. Established lawns will not die and watering is not recommended. Newly seeded or newly sodded areas will still need watering.

• Late crops of beans, beets, carrots, Swiss chard, and cucumbers can be direct sown through the end of July.

• Bare soil is very prone to erosion from summer thunder storms. Prevent this by covering the soil with mulch, groundcovers, or turf.

• Mosquitoes are always a summer time nuisance at any outside activity. Reduce mosquito populations by eliminating standing water. Change bird bath water frequently, and empty buckets, lids, garden furniture and toys. The Asian tiger mosquito requires very little water for breeding. Back yard ponds stocked with fish or moving water (fountains or filters) should not contribute to a mosquito problem. However, to be certain, B.t. dunks can bin the pond for mosquito control.

• August is frequently dry. Water deeply by allowing water to soak the soil directly underneath and around newly planted trees and shrubs. Check the depth of water penetration into the soil by digging a small hole after watering. Hard-crusted mulch will repel water and needs to be broken up with a rake or hoe to help the rain and irrigation water to penetrate the soil.

• Late August through September is usually a good time to transplant, divide and plant perennials such as daylily, liriope, and Echinacea. Be sure to keep them well watered during dry periods. If hot, dry conditions persist wait to divide your perennials.

• Do not fertilize shade trees, fruit trees or shrubs in late summer. Fertilization in August is very likely to stimulate new growth at a time when plants are beginning to enter dormancy and could result in excessive winter damage.

• Many kinds of interesting invertebrates live in a compost pile including manure worms, centipedes, millipedes, pill bugs, and pseudoscorpions. They are part of the composting ecosystem and should be appreciated, not feared. Do not attempt to spray or otherwise kill these beneficial critters.

• Ruby-throated hummingbirds continue to visit flowers and nectar feeders. Keep nectar feeders clean and change nectar solution frequently during hot weather to prevent spoiling.

Organic Gardening For Babies

My home office has big windows with views of my yard, which is usually filled with birds, butterflies and beautiful blooms. The view always reminds me of both the reasons and the results of being an eco-friendly gardener. I’ve often said that I do it for the wildlife (I’m a real nature nerd) and the water (my husband is an avid fisherman who gardens green to keep the waterways healthy).

Inside my office, I have photos of the other important reasons for being a “green gardener” – the wee ones of the next generation. Three of them are in the beautiful photo above of my niece’s triplets.

As more and more of my friends and relatives are welcoming children and grandchildren, the importance of eco-friendly gardening becomes more evident to me.

Just in case you need any reminders, here are:

10 Reasons that Eco-Friendly Gardening is Good for Babies

1) Eco-friendly gardening means gardening without chemicals. Eliminating chemicals from our landscapes makes our gardens safer places for children to play. Because babies, kids, and pets spend most of their time playing outdoors on the grass, or indoors on carpets, where lawn chemicals have been tracked in on shoes, the tiniest members of our family are also the most vulnerable.

2) Eco-friendly gardening conserves water. Conserving water in our gardens helps to insure that we preserve the world’s water supplies for future generations – water is not a renewal resource.

3) Eco-friendly gardening creates wildlife friendly spaces. Creating wildlife friendly landscapes allow children a bird’s eye view of all of the wonders of the world.

4) Eco-friendly gardening insures that these wonders, such as hummingbirds and butterflies, will be around for them to appreciate and share with their own children.

5) Eco-friendly gardening prevents storm-water runoff. Preventing storm water runoff helps us maintain clean drinking water and provides beautiful recreational resources for future generations.

6) Growing food in eco-friendly, organic gardens provides healthier food sources for children.

7) Eco-friendly gardening saves time, which leaves more time for you to play with your kids (or grandkids). Choosing plants which are compatible with your site conditions will require less work.

8) Eco-friendly gardening saves money which you can spend on your kids (or grandkids). Learning to work with Mother Nature, Not Against her, will save money on water, chemicals and plants that don't flourish and need to be replaced.

9) Eco-friendly gardening decreases energy use (and air pollution associated with its generation) because less pumping and treatment of water is required.

10) Eco-friendly gardening is good for your soul. And good souls are important for raising good kids.

Plants to Attract Hummingbirds

THE HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN
Plants to attract hummingbirds for the Mid-Atlantic Region
Plant suggestions from the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Prince William County Office
Plants marked with an * suggested by local gardeners. If you have a hummingbird plant for the Mid-Atlantic region to recommend, please leave it in the comment section below.
Links have been added for the Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog

** Remember: Eliminate chemical pesticides from your garden before you begin to garden for hummingbirds!

Trees	Exposure	Moisture Requirements
Flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Part sun to light shade	Moist but well-drained soil
Flowering crabapple Malus spp.	Full sun	Moist but well-drained rich soil
Red Buckeye Aesculus pavia	Light shade	Moist but well-drainedsoil
Shrubs	Exposure	Moisture Requirements
American cranberrybush Viburnum trilobum	Full sun	Moist but well-drained soil in full sun
American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis	Full sun	Moist
Arrowwood Virburnum Viburnum dentatum	Full sun to Partial sun	Moist but well-drained, rich soil
Butterfly bush Buddleia davidii	Full sun	Moist but well-drained,soil
Lilac Syringa spp.	Full sun	Well drained, fertile,slightly alkaline soil
Rhododendrons Rhododendron catawbiense	Partial shade	Moist to dry fertile,acid soil
Scarlet Firethorn Pyracantha coccinea	Full sun	Well drained soil
Flowers	Exposure	Moisture Requirements
Ageratum Ageratum houstonianum	Full sun topartial sun	Moist well drained richsoil
Astilbe Astilbe x arendsii	Partial shade	Rich, moist soil
*Balsam Impatien Balsamina	Full sun to part shade	Medium water requirements
* Basil Ocimum basilicum	Full sun	Well drained soil
Bee Balm Monarda didyma	Full sun	Moist well drained soil
Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida	Full sun	Moist well drained soil
Butterfly weed Aesclepias	Full sun	Moist to dry soil
Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis	Full sun	Wet to Moist soil/ bog

Flowers	Exposure	Moisture Requirements
Cleome Cleome hasslerana	Full sun	Moist well drained soil
Columbine Aquilegia canadense	Sun/Partial shade	Moist well drained soil
Coral bell Heuchera	Sun/Partial sun	Moist well drained soil
Cosmos Cosmos spp.	Full sun	Moist well-drained soil
Evening primrose/ sundrops Oenothera	Full sun	Moist well drained soil
Four-o’clocks Mirabilis jalapa	Full sun topartial sun	Moist well drained soil
Fuchsia Fuchsia spp	Morningsun/ shade	Moist but well drainedrich soil
Geranium Pelargonia x hortorum	Full sun	Moist but well drainedrich soil
Globe thistle Echinops ritro	Full sun	Drought tolerant
Goldenrod Solidago	Full sun	Drought tolerant
Heliotrope Heliotropium arborescens	Afternoonshade	Moist well drained richsoil
Hollyhock Althaea or Alcea	Full sun	Moist well drainedaverage soil
Indian Pink Spigelia marilandica	Full sun tolight shade	Moist well drained soil
Ironweed Veronia noveboracensis	Full sun	Moist to wet soil
Hyssop Agastache	Full sun	Moist well drained soil
Impatiens Impatiens wallerana	Partialsun/shade	Moist well drained richsoil
Lobelia Lobelia spp.	Full sun	Moist to wet soils
Lupine Lupinus spp	Full sun	Moist well drainedloose soil
New England aster Aster novae-angliae	Sun to lightshade	Moist well drained soil
Nicotiana Nicotiana	Full sun	Moist well drained richsoil
Penstemon Penstemon	Full sun	Requires perfectdrainage
Petunias Petunia spp	Full sun	Moist well drained soil
Phlox Phlox paniculata	Full sun	Moist well drained soil

Flowers	Exposure	Moisture Requirements
Pineapple sage Salvia elegans	Full sun topart sun	Moist well drained soil
Purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea	Full sun	Moist well drained soil
Red-hot poker Kniphofia uvaria	Full sun	Constantly moist soil
Salvias Salvia coccinea	Full sun	Moist well drained soil
Mexican Sunflower Tithonia rotundifolia	Full Sun	Moist well drained soil
Tropaeolum Nasturtium	Full sun	Moist well drained richsoil
Yarrow Achillea	Full sun	Moist well drained soil
Zinnia Zinnia elegans	Full sun	Moist well drained soil
Vines	Exposure	Moisture Requirements
Cardinal Climber Ipomoea quamoclit	Full sun	Moist well drained.Mulch over roots
Cross Vine (Trumpet Flower) Bignonia capreolata	Full sun	Moist well drained soil
Mandevilla Mandevilla splendens	Partialshade	Moist well drained rich soil
Trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens	Full sun	Moist well drained soil
Trumpet Creeper Campsis radicans	Full sun	Moist well drained soil

Gardening for hummingbirds

Yesterday I posted a message about creating butterfly gardens, complete with lists of butterfly species for the area. But today, I would like to talk about hummingbirds! I love hummingbirds and I believe that the more people who garden for them, the more we will begin to see hummingbirds hanging around the area! So I hope that I can encourage you to plant a few hummingbird favorites in your garden this Spring.

Although there are more than 338 known species of hummingbirds in the Americas, only about sixteen of those are found in the United States. Of those sixteen, the ruby-throated hummingbird, is the only one that is common in the Mid-Atlantic region and it is the one that you will most likely be able to entice to your yard if you provide a habitat that they find inviting. Avid bird enthusiasts have also reported sightings of additional species in the area, including the Rufous and Allen's hummingbirds.

Hummingbirds begin visiting the Metro DC area in late March or early April and stay till August or September. According to the Virginia Department of Game and Fisheries, they also breed in the area. Like butterflies, if you want to attract these little winged beauties to your yard, your best bet is to plant their favorite plant species.

Catching a glimpse of one of these jeweled acrobats is enough to fill anyone with awe. What other creature can amaze us with feats such as flying backwards or upside down?

The ruby-throated “hummer” is only about 3 inches long and weighs about one-quarter of an ounce (about as much as a penny). For their size, hummingbirds have among the largest appetites in the bird world. Hummingbirds feed about every ten or fifteen minutes from dawn to dusk, consuming more than half their weight in food every day.

Hummingbirds are said to be most drawn to tubular flowers that are either large and showy or in drooping clusters of red, orange and pink. However, there are many other flowers that attract these hungry little scavengers. Therefore, it is best to plant a variety of species, choosing native plants when available for ease of maintenance. Since hummingbirds are very territorial, space your hummingbird plants in separate groupings around your yard and at varying heights, starting at about 18” above the ground.

Nectar feeders can also be used as a supplemental food source for hummingbirds. A simple nectar can be made by combining 1 part granulated sugar to 4 parts water in a saucepan and boiling for two minutes. Let the mixture cool completely before filling feeders. Be sure and replace the mixture every couple of days because heat from the sun can cause rapid bacterial growth in the nectar solution which is potentially fatal to the hummingbirds.

Eliminate the use of pesticides in your yard if you plan to garden for hummingbirds and keep cats indoors!

For more information about hummingbirds in the DC area, read:

Plants to Attract Hummingbirds

The Natural Capital: Look for Ruby throated Hummingbirds

Hummingbird Tidbits - Virginia Department of Game and Fisheries

The Hummingbird Garden (pdf)- Virginia Cooperative Extension Prince William County

Creating a Wild Backyard: Hummingbirds, Butterflies & Bees, Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources

Hummingbird Handout - Virginia Cooperative Extension

Attracting Hummingbirds - Penn State