Author Archives: hummergardener

Cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis, is a great native hummingbird plant.  Like many good hummingbird plants, it has vivid red flowers that hummingbirds love.  What really sets it apart from others is it’s ability to tolerate shady areas of the garden … Continue reading →

I’ve got a couple of new plants blooming in the garden this year for the first time.  Both are growing and blooming well in the garden here, though neither originates from a location anywhere near the Upper Midwest. Siberian Catmint (Nepeta … Continue reading →

Copper iris, Iris fulva, is a litte-mentioned hummingbird plant that has grown on me over the years.  It is native to wetland habitats in the South Central United States, as far north as Southern Illinois.  This iris has been the … Continue reading →

Every year, I eagerly anticipate the first blooms of plants new to my garden.  The anticipation is particularly keen when the plants are perennials that I’ve managed to start from seed, plant out, and successfully overwinter.  Will the blooms be … Continue reading →

My sister put it bluntly a couple of weeks ago:  “Wake up!  Spring is here!  Your most recent post is titled ‘Putting the Garden to Bed’!”  I admit to being a bit of a Rip Van Winkle, and I promise … Continue reading →

Too much time has passed since my last post–my last remaining hummer departed soon after I made it, and the remaining flowers all succumbed to frost.  Once the hummers are gone, I am free to begin the sequence of chores … Continue reading →

I thought the lone hummingbird I observed on October 5th would be my last observed hummer this year, which is about average for my yard.  After that date, I went four days without seeing a hummer in the yard.  The … Continue reading →

The common garden petunia (Petunia x hybrida) often shows up on lists of plants recommended for hummingbirds.  Hummers will visit hybrid petunias, especially if there is nothing better in the neighborhood, but if you plant them your hummers may be … Continue reading →

The last week of September saw my hummingbird numbers dwindle from about five or so down to one seen on the last day of the month.  Yesterday, the first day of October, I was lucky to briefly observe one shy … Continue reading →