hummers & color

Kenneth Hixson khixson@nu-world.com
Mon, 02 Oct 2006 16:15:46 PDT
Dear members
	I've been reluctant to join this thread, as much of what
I have to say doesn't involve bulbs, but here goes.
	Here in western Oregon, we are supposed to have
resident populations of hummingbirds.  In my garden they
show up early with the quince and flowering current, then
I don't see them again until the new crop of babies hatch
and leave the nest.
	They love Crocosmia Lucifer, and gladiolus hybrids.
Early in the summer they frequent the honeysuckle
(Lonicera periclemena) with yellow and white flowers.
Later they seem almost to ignore it.  Kniphofias, red hot
pokers, were planted to attract them, and do a little, but
not as much as hoped.  Perhaps when there are a lot of
them flowering, and over a long period of time, it will be better.
The plants that they fight over, perch in, stay around all day
are the Butterfly bushes, Buddleia hybrids, both white and
purple.  Yellow hybrids and B. globosa seem  less attractive.
Once the Buddleias start to flower, there will be hummingbirds,
although they do make trips to other flowers.  They do leave
the Butterfly bushes to visit the Crocosmias, for instance, but
return and stay near them most of the time.
	One thing to remember is that they need more than
nectar, they eat small insects--which is why I'm surprised that
the kniphofias are less attractive.  Kniphofias always have small
insects in the flowers.

Ken


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