Thinking the hummingbirds hadn’t arrived yet, I set out my feeder a few weeks ago in hopes of inviting them to visit on their way into town. Much to my surprise, I had my first visitor within an hour of placing the feeder out!
There are several things you can do to attract these little acrobats to your landscape. The first is the feeder. The trick: make your own sugar water. It’s better for the birds and much cheaper. The ratio of sugar to water is 1:4. You can make a big batch and refrigerate the rest to use as you need it. Please do not add food coloring as it’s harmful to the birds and not necessary to attract them.
You can also buy plants that attract hummingbirds. And now is the time to buy plants as you can take advantage of our WaterSaver Landscape Coupon Program to help you purchase them. Some of the plants on our list will do great for attracting them, including any of the salvias (autumn sage, tropical sage and little leaf sage) which add great color and also attract butterflies.
Another popular plant with hummingbirds is the red yucca. They absolutely love them! The best thing about it is once it’s planted, it needs virtually no care at all. Pink turk’s cap is one of those plants you might not even think about, but it’s a true Texas Superstar that does well in sun and shade, drought-tolerant and a hummingbird’s dream.
Get going and get your landscape “hummingbird ready.” These truly remarkable little creatures are here and very thirsty for nectar, either man-made or naturally occurring.
Follow Garden Style San Antonio’s board Haven for Hummingbirds on Pinterest.
