Guide to Cultivating Suspension Pots for Attracting Hummingbirds - Using Plants they Cannot Ignore!
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Hummingbirds are tiny, vibrant creatures that bring a touch of magic to any garden. These brilliantly colored birds can be found flitting among flowers, and now, you can bring them even closer with hummingbird hanging baskets.
These planters, filled with plants that hummingbirds love, can be hung near a front window or patio, offering a great viewing opportunity. The key to a successful hummingbird hanging basket lies in selecting nectar-rich, tubular-shaped flowers that provide a good nectar supply and bloom continuously from spring to fall.
Excellent choices include fuchsias, which thrive in hanging baskets and prefer cooler temperatures, and salvias such as Salvia nemorosa ‘May Night’ with its purple flowers. For a splash of bright colour, consider plants like million bells (aka Calibrachoa), which have small, numerous flowers in vivid shades, or nasturtiums, which are easy to grow, brilliant orange or orange-red, and prolific.
Native plants also support hummingbirds well. Options include cardinal flowers, trumpet honeysuckle, and trumpet vine. Don't forget about coral honeysuckles, which produce a lot of nectar but don't appreciate fragrance.
Trailing plants like red cypress vine (also known as hummingbird vine) are another good option. Their delicate fern-like foliage and bright flowers make them ideal for hanging baskets. Combining several flowering plants with staggered bloom times ensures a continuous nectar source throughout the warmer months.
To create the perfect hummingbird hanging basket, focus on nectar-rich tubular flowers with bright colours. Include a mix of native and non-native nectar plants with staggered bloom for long feeding periods. Avoid deadheading late-season blooms as faded flowers still provide nectar.
Additionally, consider plants like trailing verbena and lantana, which offer generous clusters of small flowers, rich in nectar, in a crazy selection of brilliant colours. Trailing petunias offer rich colours, big blossoms, and an evening fragrance.
By choosing the right plants and creating a hanging basket for hummingbirds, you can bring these captivating birds closer to your window or patio without worrying about refilling a feeder every few days. Happy gardening!
[1] Protecting Pollinators: A Guide for Gardeners (2020). National Wildlife Federation. [2] Hummingbird Hanging Baskets (2021). The Spruce. [3] Hummingbird Gardening (2020). Audubon. [4] Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Yard (2021). Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
[1] Enhance your home-and-garden lifestyle by creating a pet-friendly, hummingbird-attracting hanging basket. This vibrant display can be a perfect home for these enchanting creatures, also providing a play area for playful pets.
[2] Effortlessly blend pet care with gardening by including pet-safe plants in your hummingbird hanging basket, such as catnip or dog-friendly marigolds, while still providing a bountiful nectar source for hummingbirds.
