I love this plant!  Originally I planted it in a mixed pot but it wasn’t doing very well.  It was spindly and tiny.  The others had already died but I hoped this last one could be saved.  I planted it in the ground about a month before this photo was taken.  Now it is turning into this beautiful full plant.  The blossoms vividly stand out in the garden.  The hummingbirds and butterflies love the blossoms.  Now that the weather is cooling off I think I will transplant it to a location where it will have more room.  It loves the bright, sunny location it is currently in and is very drought tolerant.

 The Texas Sage can be grown as either an annual or perennial depending on your region.  This hummingbird magnet is hardy in zones 7b-10b.  It can reach a height of 18″ to 42″ tall and should be spaced 6″ - 9″ apart.  Blooms from late summer to early fall.  It self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season.  The dried seedheads can also be bagged.

Your feeder can be hung in your garden bed near some colorful flowers.  Feeders can also be hung on a patio where it can be seen from inside your house.  Maybe place one next to a basket filled with colorful hummingbird flowers.

You can make homemade nectar with basic granulated sugar and water.  Simple mix 1 part sugar to 4 parts water.  (Say 1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup water).  Bring to a boil and stir for about a minute until sugar disolves in water.  Let cool completely before filling feeders.  Any leftover nectar can be stored in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.  Never add red food coloring.  This is not good for the hummers and not necessary anyway.

Clean out your feeders every 5-7 days, maybe more often on hot summer days.  Mold will grow in feeders if not kept clean.  Each time you refill your feeder, rinse it out very well with HOT water and scrub with a bottle brush.  You can clean it with a mild soap and water mixture but rinse very well before filling.  If you find mold you can clean it with a bleach solution of 1/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon water.  Soak feeder in the bleach solution for 1 hour.  This will kill the mold.  Again make sure you rinse feeder really good.  Another option is to clean with a vinegar and water solution.

Make sure you leave your feeders up until 2 weeks have passed since you have seen a hummer.  Migrating birds will stop to feed on their way south.  Hummingbirds know when it is time to leave so you do not have to worry about keeping them from flying south for the winter.

This influx of hummers only lasted about 5 days.  On the last morning I peeked out my back door and there had to be about 50 hummingbirds.  All the feeders were busy with many waiting their turn.  There were many whizzing around the garden as well.  It was absolutely amazing to watch!!!  I sat on the patio and on the lawn watching them.   I couldn’t believe how such little creatures could make so much noise!  They would fly off into the trees when I first went outside and I could hear them all around me chirping and fussing.  Eventually they would make their way back to my garden and feeders.  I was able to snap a few pictures of them with my point and shoot camera.  Wasn’t able to get too close up with it.  I am definately going to have to invest in a new SLR camera before they return in March!

They say that when hummingbirds find a good place feed, they will return the following year.  I can’t wait to see what’s in store!  In the meantime, I have so much I want to do in my garden!  I bought a mister but it was backordered and didn’t get it until late in the season so I never put it out.  Have been looking for a bird feeder to put by my flowering peach tree.  (Now this is NOT a hummingbird attractant.  It was supposed to be a Pussy Willow but was mislabeled by grower).  My mister will go in this tree.  I just need to buy a timer for it.  If the mister is set to run at a scheduled time of day, birds will be ready and waiting (or so they say).  Will let you all know how that goes next summer.    Did I tell you it was absolutely AMAZING!?

This influx of hummers only lasted about 5 days.  On the last morning I peeked out my back door and there had to be about 50 hummingbirds.  All the feeders were busy with many waiting their turn.  There were many whizzing around the garden as well.  It was absolutely amazing to watch!!!  I sat on the patio and on the lawn watching them.   I couldn’t believe how such little creatures could make so much noise!  They would fly off into the trees when I first went outside and I could hear them all around me chirping and fussing.  Eventually they would make their way back to my garden and feeders.  I was able to snap a few pictures of them with my point and shoot camera.  Wasn’t able to get too close up with it.  I am definately going to have to invest in a new SLR camera before they return in March!

Food & Shelter

Food and shelter are necessary for hummingbirds survival.  Your hummingbird haven should not only provide food, but also resting perches, shelter, and breeding habitat.  It is also important to have plants that provide nesting materials.  Humminbirds like downy like materials for their nests.  They use these fibers with bits of leaves, spider webs, moss and lichens to construct their nests.  Willow and Eucalyptus trees are invaluable for providing downy like materials.

Avoid the use of pesticides in your hummingbird garden.  Hummingbirds will enjoy eating the tiny spiders, aphids and gnats as an added source of protein.  

Flowers & Nectar

Hummingbirds are attracted to bright, colorful flowers, especially the color red.  Select annuals, perennials, and shrubs that bloom at different times of the year.  By doing so, you will be sure that there will be a steady supply of flowers in your yard from early spring until well into the fall.

Don’t crowd your garden too much.  Hummingbirds need to room to whir about the blossoms.  Place plants in several clusters and in different areas.

Hummingbirds must feed 3-5 times every hour and your hummingbirds may become dependant on your garden for it’s food.  However, they also enjoy nectar from a feeder.  Hummingbids can be territorial so it’s a good idea to hang maybe 3 feeders in different areas of our garden about 10′-15′ apart. 

You can make your own nectar by mixing 1 part sugar to 4 parts water.  Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is disolved.  Once the sugar water has cooled you can pour it into your hummingbird feed.  Any leftover nectar can be stored in refrigerator for 7 days.  Never add artificial sweeteners, honey or food coloring.

Water

A constant source of water will make your hummingbird haven complete.  If you have a bird bath, you can place a couple flat rocks in it to give the tiny birds an opportunity to bathe.  Or you can add a drip attachment to your bird bath, available at most garden centers.  Hummingbirds  love to fly through misters.  You can place one near broad-leafed plants.  Hummers will drink and bathe in the droplets that collect on the leaves.  Positioning the mister where the droplets that accumulate on leaves drip into your bird bath will help keep your bath full.  It will also create a ripple effect in the water will help draw the attention of the birds.  Hummingbirds will even fly through the the spray of a sprinkler.