Posts tagged as:

Attracting Birds

Container Plants that Birds Love

by Genevieve on March 21, 2009

Great Tit near Wisteria Plant Photo by frielp on Flickr via CC Attribution license

Finishing off our series on planting to attract birds, here’s my love poem to container gardeners – some of my favorite plants to attract birds and hummingbirds to your urban or patio garden.

Fuchsia thymifolia or Fairy Fuchsia

Fuchsia thymifolia with Persicaria 'Red Dragon'

This is the fuchsia that makes me go starry-eyed with love. Blooming all year  long on the coast, this delicate thyme-leaved beauty is a huge favorite with the hummingbirds. If you’re used to the hybrids with honkin’ big flowers, re-adjust your view to this all-natural beauty. The simple, tiny flowers are just gorgeous, and the benefit of less breeding is that they are sturdy and strong. No Fuchsia gall mite here.

Fuchsia thymifolia close upPeople in colder climes may need to protect it in winter, as it’s only hardy to  20 degrees, but if you are a fan of Fuchsias, your garden won’t be complete without this one. I’ve had them get to 3’ in containers, and their arching, upright habit makes them a perfect centerpiece.

Fuchsia thymifolia 'Lottie Hobbie'There’s also a white-variegated version called ‘Lottie Hobbie’, which has a  smaller, more creeping habit to about 2’. Since the variegated foliage sunburns easily, I set them in part to full shade and let them fill in around a more upright plant.

[Click here to continue reading…]

{ 9 comments }

Nectar Plants for the Hummingbirds to Enjoy

by Genevieve on March 5, 2009

If you’ve been following my series on Planting to Attract Birds, you may already have a few plants in mind to attract hummingbirds to your garden. Who wouldn’t want to bring that energy and life into their garden?

Even though I’m a landscaper and get to see hummingbirds every day, they never lose their magic for me. I love to see them guarding “their” sage or Buddleia and tweeting irritably at me to get lost already (sorry guys! The weeds don’t stop for anyone!), nesting safely in shrubs and small trees, and zooming about in search of their next meal.

Ruby throated hummingbird, photo by jmwests on Flickr via CC Attribution license

While planting is the best way to attract them, both for providing food and shelter, during the lean winter months a feeder can be a very kind gift. Feeders take more work than most plants, but your hummingbirds will be very grateful to have a nectar backup in case the neighborhood shrubs fail them.

Using a hummingbird feeder

No need to buy fancy food packets for your feeder; instead, make a simple sugar solution by boiling 4 parts water, removing the water from the stove, and stirring in 1 part sugar until dissolved. You can keep your prepared sugar water in the fridge for one-two weeks.

[Click here to continue reading…]

{ 12 comments }

Smaller Plants to Attract Birds – a Few Favorites

February 27, 2009

We’ve covered my favorite trees and larger shrubs to attract birds; now I want to talk about some of the smaller plants to bring the birds and hummingbirds flying to your garden. These are just a few of my favorites to use as a starting point – there are so many gorgeous small shrubs, perennials, [...]

Click here to continue reading →

Shrubs to Attract Birds – Planting for Year-Round Berries and Habitats

February 22, 2009

Now that we’ve talked about trees to attract birds, and how to attract birds using feeders and birdbaths, I want to get on to some of my very favorite shrubs. From the rich purple berries of Callicarpa to the hanging clusters on Leycesteria, I’ve chosen my top five shrubs to plant for the birds:
Berberis darwinii [...]

Click here to continue reading →

Trees to Attract Birds: New Stars and Old Favorites

February 18, 2009

We talked earlier this week about how to attract birds using feeders and water. Since we’re all plant geeks here, I’m dying to share some of my favorite trees for the Pacific Northwest to attract birds.
Do remember that any tree that has fruit or berries is going to be messy, so you should place them [...]

Click here to continue reading →

The Winter-Interest Secret Most Gardeners Forget: or How to Attract Birds

February 13, 2009

Winter interest is the Holy Grail for us gardeners, and we spend an inordinate amount of time planning out which cool foliage plant or winter bloomer we’ll tuck in.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for that year-round interest too – but there is another source of excitement during the darker months – birds!
During the [...]

Click here to continue reading →