Hummingbirds Winged jewels of the garden! It is a marvel to see hummingbirds hovering in mid air and their fast fly by buzz of the feeders. It is not hard to attract hummingbirds and well worth the effort to learn how to make hummingbird food and plant a hummingbird garden!   Favorite Hummingbird Garden Flowers: Hummingbirds are most attracted to red, tubular flowers. But they also love any bright colored flowers like yellow, orange, pink. I have had them humming around white petunias in the spring. To make a great "hummer" garden pick bright colors and tubular flowers. Some of the flowers they like are: red salvia, lobelia, coral honeysuckle, hibiscus, trumpet vine, scarlet sage, butterfly bush, phlox, columbine, delphinium, shrimp plant and agave. Hummingbird Feeders & Supplies: The hummers will start arriving early in Spring so have your feeders out, supplies in order and be ready for them! If you place your feeders close to bright flowers, they will discover them faster. You will soon find that one is not enough as more and more hummers find your feeders. It is also a good idea to keep your feeders up long into the winter months as they will be used by migrating hummers and those birds unable to make the long trip. You can take the feeders down after you are sure there are no birds "wintering" over. Hummingbird feeders should be placed in a shady area to discourage bacteria and mold from spoiling the nectar. Even if you still have nectar in your feeder, you should replace it at least once a week. It is wise to clean your hummingbird feeder every 2 - 3 days, especially in hot weather. Nectar tends to "ferment" in the hot weather and harmful bacteria will form. (this will happen even if the feeder is not in direct sunlight) You should clean feeder with a mild soapy solution (no harsh chemicals) and bottlebrush. Be sure to rinse very well in clear water to remove all traces of soap residue!! You don't need a lot of supplies for hummers but one of the most handy is a good bottle brush! It sure makes things a lot easier when cleaning the feeders! To avoid pesky ants in your feeders you can coat hangers with Vaseline. The sugary nectar also attracts unwanted bees so it is best to get hummingbird feeders with bee guards. Nectar / Hummingbird Food: It is really not necessary to use red colored dyes and nectars. When making your own hummingbird food it is best to stick to 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. This will come close to the glucose concentration found in flowers. Recipe for Making your own Hummingbird food: 4 parts water / 1 part sugar Bring water to a boil and stir in sugar. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Let cool. Excess nectar / hummingbird food can be stored in a tightly covered jar in refrigerator for one week. Do NOT substitute honey for sugar!! If You Find an Injured Hummingbird: Please do not put them into a wire bird cage! They can easily hurt themselves on the wire. Place the injured hummer into a shoebox (with air holes) and put the lid on with a rubber band. Place the shoe box in a quiet place and then call your local wildlife rehabber. Please do not let children handle the bird. This is not the time to play "looky loo" for the whole neighborhood. The life of the bird depends on this! An overly stressed bird can easily go into shock!

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