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Hummingbird Garden Update

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Garden-2 Three weeks ago we started a hummingbird garden. You can read about it in Our Hummingbird Garden and in Our Hummingbird garden Part 2.

I’m not sure if readers realized that I potted the plants in containers rather than in the ground. The pots are sitting on flagstone tiles in the center of the yard. It is one of the few places where we get full sun during the day. Most of the sage and salvia plants that attract hummingbirds like a full sun exposure. Each plant has a drip system running to it, but I do have to supplement the water supply. Most of these plants are drought tolerant, but in the hot summer sun, especially in pots, they do need more water.

This morning I went on line to learn how to propagate sage and salvia plants. I discovered a helpful blog called Growing the Home Garden. In a short article I found what I was looking for. I finished reading, and headed into the garden to look for just the right cuttings. As sometimes happens I found myself doing things a little differently than planned, and it also turned out to be a faster way to expand our hummingbird garden.

Pineapple-sageAbove is the Pineapple Sage plant, another hummingbird favorite. I purchased a small plant on May 25, and it had already outgrown its original pot. While repotting the sage, I was able to separate a smaller plant that was an offshoot of the larger one. Above you see the original and secondary plants in their new pots.  I can’t wait to see their bright red flowers. I will be sure to post a picture when it happens. This plant seems to be a very fast grower, and something tells me I will soon be sharing pineapple sage plants. Pineapple Sage Tea anyone?

Our Hummingbird Garden Part 2

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mystic-blue-salviaIn my previous post, Our Hummingbird Garden, I promised to show you the rest of the plants in our new hummingbird garden. This is Mystic Blue Salvia, although it’s more purple than blue. Again you see the tubular shape to the blossoms, which make them perfect for the hummingbird’s long beak. The plants are doing well, and most are forming new buds.

lemon-lightThis Lemon Light Salvia is getting ready to flower. We haven’t seen a flowering Lemon Light, and we are really looking forward to the first blossom.salvia-micropylla-2This is Salvia Microphylla, commonly referred to as ‘baby sage’.  I love the pink and white heart shaped flowers. This variety is called Hot Lips.

Berkely-BarbBerkeley Barb is a Mountain Sage. It’s named for a counterculture newspaper that was published in Berkeley California from 1965 to 1980.

All of these plants with the exception of Berkeley Barb prefer full sun and are growing happily in the center of our back yard, but we may have to move the little Mountain Sage as the summer progresses and the days become warmer.First-hummingbirdThe morning after we started our garden, I was taking long distance photos of the plants, when I realized that a hummingbird was enjoying nectar from the Salvia Gregii. I continued to take photos, hoping I’d caught one of our first visitor. I hope you can see her enjoying some breakfast. As the plants grow and produce more flowers, I’m sure we will see many more of these little birds, and I’ll be posting more and more photographs. I’ll also share any new plants with you as well. I’m sure there will be many more, since there are so many beautiful choices.

 

 

Our Hummingbird Garden

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Salvia-gregii-oneWe love hummingbirds, and always have a feeder filled with sugar water hanging outside our kitchen window. In Southern California we have the Allen’s Hummingbird, the Black chinned Hummingbird, and the Anna’s Hummingbird. The Anna’s doesn’t migrate, so we enjoy them all year round. I’d been thinking of starting a hummingbird garden for quite awhile, so the birds would be attracted to our yard, and not always dependent on the sugar water mixture in the feeder.

Two days ago we visited our local nursery and with the help of one of the garden professionals, who was a fellow hummingbird lover, we arrived home with seven plants that hummingbirds favor. The beautiful pink blossomed plant above is the Salvia gregii.

Salvia-black-and-blue-oneHere you see the Salvia Black and Blue. Notice the tubular blossoms. They are perfect for the hummingbird’s long beak, an interesting characteristic of Salvia plants.Pineapple-sage-1This pineapple sage is the plant I’d planned to make the first addition to our hummingbird garden. I’ve been promised spires of cardinal red blooms. I can’t wait, and apparently neither can the hummingbirds. I’ve read that here in Southern California, where we rarely have hard freezes, the blooms may continue all year. There are many uses for this plant, including tossing a few of the red flowers in salads. Amazing!

I’ve included only three of the plants we’ve made part of our hummingbird garden in this latest post. Today I’ll be out taking more photos of the garden and hopefully some of the little residents enjoying a sip of nectar. I’ll include the remainder of the plants next time.