Habitat gardens attract songbirds, hummingbirds, & butterflies
Let’s talk about “habitat gardens”. There are so many outstanding plants that are not only beautiful and low care but they also attract songbirds, hummingbirds, butterflies, and perhaps even beneficial insects. These are wonderful additions to our backyard habitat gardens. Here are just a few of the ones I’ll talk about with Lisa Smith and Nancy Reid on Garden Gossip, Blend Radio, March 3, 2009 online at www.bigblendmagazine.com . Join us for this fun and informative program.
Photos by Tracy DiSabato-Aust (c) 2009
Giant Coneflower (Rudbeckia maxima) yellow flowers on 6’ stems followed by seedheads that are great for attracting various insects and Golden Finch (photo) ‘Blue Fortune’ anise hyssop (Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’) long lasting blue flowers on this “Trophy” plant act as a butterfly and bee haven!! ‘Gateway’ Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum ‘Gateway’) towering clouds of rose-colored flowers attract butterflies in the summer and then are great food/cover for the Juncos and Tufted Titmouse in winter. (photo) ‘Graham Thomas’ woodbine honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum ‘Graham Thomas’) lovely fragrant pure yellow flowers on this vining plant are hummingbird magnets!! Crocosmia (Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’) gorgeous bright red tubular flowers have hummingbirds and gardeners loving it!! And here is just one more… Korean Angelica (Angelica gigas) this is a great habitat garden plant because it attracts beneficial parasitic wasps that feed on soft bodied “bad” insects like spider mites & aphids. It also attracts bees.
Thanks for the wonderful ideas for critter attractive (and human attractive) plants.
I LOVE the hummingbird video. It’s so hard to follow them in their erratic flight. You did a great job. Thanks for sharing. I heard a song bird in the background too. Makes me really ready for springtime.
Wow! It’s so peaceful in your garden. Looks like the hummingbird sure is enjoying his feast! I was wondering, do you put out seed for your birds as well? Or hang hummingbird feeders?
I appreciated the gardening tips to attract these guys. (And I didn’t know that there was a such thing as a parasitic wasp). Lots of useful information. Thank you!
Yes aren’t the hummingbirds a treat!! I do put out black sunflower seed for the birds during the winter/early spring and have in the past hung hummingbird feeders but I now get so many with the plants I have in the gardens that they seem just as happy–as I am! Spring is coming!!
Hi Tracy, – look forward to having you back on the show – I love that you give us such great plant ideas that are easy to take care of!