The Hummingbirds Are Here! -- Are You Ready?

Old man winter has finally bitten the dust and we gardeners are seeing our amazing friends, the hummingbirds visiting our yard looking for sweet nectar. Are you ready for them?

The hummingbirds are here!

I hope you are ready. If you want them to visit your yard and come back again and again, the two basic things you need to do are to 1. provide a safe haven or nice environment for them to feed in peace; 2. provide plenty of sweet nectar in feeders or flowers that they love.

By far, it's easier to buy hummingbird feeders, fill them with food and put them up in safe places for the hummingbirds to feed. Fortunately, that's about all you need to do to attract those wonderful creatures to your yard. They will keep coming as long as you provide this for them.

I recommend putting up at least two or three feeders (with considerable space between them) because Hummingbirds are territorial. They have been known to chase away weaker hummers and fight over a feeder. Install several. You'll want to be sure everyone gets fed.

Again, if you do these things, they will come, and keep coming back. Then you can sit back with a cool glass of lemonade or iced tea and enjoy their delightful company.