Garden

How to Create a Hummingbird Garden

ByStacy Ling

When I first designed the front walkway garden, I researched hummingbird and butterfly attracting plants so that I could entice them to the yard. Thankfully, there is a lot of plant overlap that attract both.

Once my hummingbird plant list was honed, I considered deer browsing and what plants I could not use. While I don’t mind adding plants that have a low deer resistance rating because I spray them, I prefer to focus more on plants that they tend to avoid. To learn more about creating a deer-resistant garden, check out my blog post, Deer-Proofing Your Garden.

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Attracting Hummingbirds

Plant a variety of flowers and shrubs in varying heights to provide shade, shelter, food, and water. Hummingbirds love bright-colored, tubular flowers because they hold more nectar and are particularly drawn to red, orange, pink and yellow hues.

Attract them to the garden with early blooming varieties so they learn where they want to stop and shop early in the growing season. In my gardens, hummingbirds, love to sample Catmint, Bee Balm, Echinacea, Cleome, Columbines, Impatiens, Petunias and Hibiscus.

Design Tip

Grow similar flowers together in a large group so that humminbirds can spot them more easily while flying. In my gardens, I design in odd numbered groupings, so depending on the mature size of a plant, I generally  plant in 1’s, 3’s, and 5’s. Since my garden is fairly mature, I’m at the point where I tuck new plants in where I can fit them! LOL

Additional Feeders

Hummingbirds also appreciate artificial feeders to supplement flower nectar. I do not have hummingbird feeders in my garden. Not that I don’t want one, but I was very lazy about maintaining it. Since I am not an expert on these feeders, please see Attracting Hummingbirds by the North Carolina State University

If you would like more information regarding pollinators, see Creating Inviting Habitats by the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Front Garden

I can’t tell you how much I love this garden! It is such a joy to see this everyday.
In bloom are Catmint, Cleome, Dahlia, Euphorbia, Marigold, Roses, and Pansies. I love incorporating the colorful foliage of Coral Bells (Heuchera) to play off the hues in the blooms.
Notice the bright tubular purple flowers on this Catmint plant. While I was weeding, the hummingbird came by often for a taste.
I used to have so many more Asiatic Lillies. This is one of the few I have left and it’s just starting to bloom.

Lamb’s Ear is not my favorite flower, but I love the color and texture of the foliage. Not to mention, deer avoid browsing on this one. Hummingbirds occasionally stop by this one too.
Love the cute lab angel statue that Mackenzie gave me for Mother’s Day!

Well Garden

The pink peonies did not last long but they were beautiful while they bloomed! I love the foliage color of smoke tree and the movement that the Zebra Grass offers. This garden will change to more red, yellow and orange hues as the season progresses.
The Moonbeam Coreopsis is on the verge of blooming. Can’t wait!
This Butterfly Weed has reseeded itself in a few of my gardens. It is preparing to bloom with these pretty orange blossoms. It is a major butterfly and hummingbird magnet.

Mailbox Garden

The Jackmanii Clematis is starting to behave a little more. Its growing up the mailbox like its suppose to and is just starting to bloom.
I really love these Petunias. They are so pretty in the gardens.
Jackmanii Clematis

Backyard Gardens

This Hibiscus Standard is a hummingbird magnet. They LOVE stopping by to grab a taste.
I love watching hummingbirds stop by this planter. I have this Hibiscus Standard on my deck in one of the larger containers. It is underplanted with Bacopa and Euphorbia. The resident groundhog has already been by for a taste of the Euphorbia. Ugh.
This Caladium container is doing so well!
This Viburnum is just starting to bloom. The aroma will be heavenly in the back for the next few weeks until it is done.
Joe Pye Weed is about halfway to maturity. This plant adds a lot of height, drama and fall color to the back border.
The Plume Poppies are starting to grow their plumes. They are about 8 feet tall now and still growing!
This will be a lackluster year for my knockout roses. Deer browsed and ate the first blooms off. I am playing catch-up to resurrect them. Happy I got a few blooms though! And now, I am spraying everything with Deer Out monthly.
Vegetable garden is thriving! We harvest the lettuce every day.
New Jersey has the best climate for growing berries. These blueberries should be ready to pick in late June/early July.
The Raspberries are starting to grow. These are so yummy to pick fresh! They are so sweet.

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this week’s garden tour and appreciate you joining me. If you missed a few tours or want to see how much the garden has changed, you can see it here:

Do you love to garden too? I would love to hear about it and see some photos. Please leave your ideas, comments & more below or contact me here. Be sure to find me @bricksnblooms on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram! And feel free to tag me on any photos you post so I can enjoy your garden too!

Thank you for following along and touring the gardens with me. Happy planting – enjoy your day! xo

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2 Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing all this great information! Your pictures are amazing and your gardens must be breathtaking IRL!??

    Reply

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