An Herb Garden Plan for my Hummingbirds

An Herb Garden Plan for my Hummingbirds

I scored a huge prize of a bunch of vintage linens several days ago.  I was ironing them and getting them ready to put in my booth.  My ironing board was in front of the window that looked out on my hummingbird feeder.

Earlier this spring, I only had two hummingbirds and lamented that our numbers had gone way down from past years.  But as summer hummed along, my hummers’ numbers increased.  Today I saw fifteen to twenty fighting over the feeder.  And though I’m finding myself filling up the feeder every day now, I don’t complain.  Soon, just a scant few weeks, they will be headed south for the winter.  They usually leave the first cold snap that comes along.  They can fly 45 miles per hour.

I will miss hearing the buzz and squeaks and seeing their acrobatics.  Besides that, they are great pollinators for your plants.  As they fly from flower to flower, they spread pollen as they go.  They also eat insects.  So they are great for your landscape just like the bees.  And that got me to thinking.  Next year I want to welcome them back with open arms.  I want to plan an herb garden distinctly for them.  I already have Coral Bells, Nasturtiums, Daylilies and Trumpet vine planted in my flower beds.  But what herbs can we plant that the hummingbirds will find exciting?

In my research, I found that any of the mints and sage are great choices.  They have tubular flowers.  They include catmint, peppermint, and spearmints.  Sage has lovely blue flowers so don’t scrimp on those.  Pineapple sage is a good choice as well.  Other herbs include Borage, red Beebalm, Lavender and Rosemary.  I make a mental note.  There is a bed right under the feeder that I can transform.  And I can spend the winter planning it out.  What a fun project!

So, if you love hummers like I do, maybe you too will want to plan a hummingbirds’ retreat.  Make sure to have a nice feeder and keep it clean and regularly filled. Keep it at a nice height, and make sure you can easily see it.  The best part is being able to watch their antics.  Maybe you need to upgrade your feeder or find a good one.  This website with Bob Vila rates some: The Best Hummingbird Feeders of 2023 - Tested by Bob Vila.  If you are so inclined, they also love sprinkling water; so, some type of fountain that has water spray is a good bet too.  And here, the best fountains rated for this year: The Best Outdoor Water Fountains of 2023 - Bob Vila

 Here’s my secret recipe to keep them coming back to the feeder.  Put 2 cups sugar into a 4-cup measure cup.  Pour boiling water over it to come to the 4-cup mark.  Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.  You will soon have a bunch of hummers coming around blessing you with their crazy zooms and squeals, especially if you plan wisely.