Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Yard

When it comes time to planting I always plan an area in my yard for annual and perennial flowers that attract hummingbirds. Both my husband and I enjoy watching these birds that come to feed off our flowers. Know that the best way to attract hummingbirds to your yard is to provide them with their dietary needs and a reliable water source. Then the hummingbirds will visit your yard and gardens daily.

Photographs of hummingbirds in the flower garden

Hummingbirds are particular about their flowers as they need flowers that are rich in sugar content and will reject other plants. They will also look for gardens that have insects as they need to nourish their bodies with nutrients.

Decide on the nectar-rich plants that you want to grow Buy a variety of flowers that will bloom throughout the summer months.

Here are a few of my favorite flowers that attract hummingbirds.

Asters, Autumn Joy Sedum, Asiatic lilies,

Black-eyed Susan, Butterfly bush, Chamomile, 

Cardinal flower (red), Chives, Chrysanthemum, 

Clover (white, yellow, and red), Coreopsis, Cosmos, Crabapple, 

Dandelion Dill herb,  Echinacea Coneflowers, 
 Four O'clock flowers, Garden Mint, Happy returns day lily, 
Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lilacs,

 Marigold, Milkweed Mimosa, Parsley, Peony, Purple Phlox,

 Red and Fuchsia Bee Balm, Sage, Sweet Pea, 

Sweet Autumn Clematis, Thyme, , Verbena, Yarrow, and Zinnias.

You can buy an orange trumpet vine at ebay.com and attract hummingbirds to your yard. 

Helpful Tips

Keep hummingbirds in your yard and garden by installing a bird bath or water fountain. Change out the water daily to make sure that it is fresh. Do not use chlorinated water in the fountain, instead collect rainwater for your water fountain. You can also use filtered water.

Provide the hummingbirds with an organic environment by refraining from treating your yard and gardens with chemical-based insecticides as these chemicals will poison the hummingbirds and kill off their insect food source.

Transplanting Chrysanthemums to Outdoor Garden

.

Chrysanthemums come in a variety of flower shapes and colors. These flowers will compliment your garden throughout the growing season when other flowers have stopped blooming. They will continue to bloom until very hard frost.

Normally I start chrysanthemums indoors by growing them from seed and will transplant them outdoors after the threat of spring frost has passed.

How to Plant Chrysanthemum Potted Plant Outdoors

Get the garden ready for planting chrysanthemums by removing the sod, and weeds. Break up the clumps of dirt so that the soil is a fine texture. Then amend the soil with compost.

1. For a nursery-grown plant or seedlings dig a hole that is the same depth as your nursery pot plus three inches.
2. Make a small mound of soil in the center of the hole. This mound will lift the mum up and will aid in proper drainage.
3. Set the mum plant in the center of the hole on top of the mound and backfill the soil into the hole.
4. Firm the soil around the mum stem. Water the newly planted mum.

Planting Flower Seed Outdoors

For sowing seeds outdoors, you would make rows that are ¼ inch deep in the soil then add two seeds for one plant, space 18 inches apart.  Cover the seeds and water so that the soil is evenly moist but not wet.

Helpful Garden Tips:

Apply organic mulch; pine needles, grass clippings or wood chips around the mum. Mulch will aid in retaining moisture and deter weed growth.

Water chrysanthemums in the morning; provide the plant with moisture up to one inch per week.

Do not allow the soil to dry out.

• For fall flowers you would pinch off the mum buds when they appear. Stop pinching off buds in August. When you pinch the early buds off the plant will grow fuller and the flowers will be stunning in the fall.
• For all summer blooms water monthly with bloom boost. Always pinch off the spent flowers, this will encourage new buds.

Growing Chrysanthemums from Seed

Normally I buy chrysanthemums in August to plant in container gardens for fall color. These late-season flowers usually do not have time to establish root because the winters may turn cold quickly. So a few years back I decided to start Chrysanthemums in my greenhouse in early spring. Then I transplanted the seedlings into my garden and since they are perennials in my area I enjoy their lovely blooms all summer long and well into the the fall season.

Growing Chrysanthemums from seed is easy plus they are long-lived. You benefit from this beautiful flower because the cut stems can be used in floral arrangements, seasonal wreaths, and other fall season decorations.

Here are some tips for growing chrysanthemums from seed.

Plant flower seeds in miracle-grow potting soil. Best to grow them indoors and then transplant them outdoors after the threat of spring frost has passed.

I buy seed starter kits in March and will plant the flower seed. Since I do not have a sunny window I bought a grow light at walmart.com  The soil in the starter kits is kept moist but not wet. I never let the soil dry out because it would cause the seedlings to be stressed.

Transplant chrysanthemum seedlings in spring after the threat of frost has passed.  Or when the weather is an average temperature of 70 degrees.

Choose a sunny garden site with rich soil that is well-drained. Know that if the soil is wet then the Chrysanthemum will weaken. This particular flower is susceptible to powdery mildew so it is wise to plant in full sun, in an area that has good airflow; away from walls, and not too close to other plants.

Transplant the mum seedling into a garden bed that has soil that is amended with compost. 

After planting the seedling, keep the soil evenly moist but not wet until the plant roots become established or new growth is noted. Then water in the morning with drip irrigation because.  It is best to not get the leaves wet. Why morning watering?  It is before the heat of the day when the water evaporates and at dusk, this watering will attract fungus and insects.

Powdery Mildew Treatment - Fungicide

Keep your plants healthy by checking them daily for powdery mildew. If you note a white powdery substance on any part of your plant then know this is a sign of fungus and it is best to treat your plants, soil, and all plants that are in the same garden location

Make a soap treatment for the powdery mildew, here is a list of ingredients.

1-cup baking soda

4 drops of unscented dishwashing liquid

2-quart tepid water

Mix all of these ingredients in your garden sprayer. Stir well to make sure everything is blended. Then using a pump garden sprayer treat the plant foliage for powdery mildew fungus. For an even spray stand 8 to 10 inches away and spray the plant and soil.

Spray all parts of the plant with solution. Treat all plants that are susceptible to powdery mildew.

Continue to watch foliage for powdery mildew. Repeat treatment as needed.

Another fungicide for your garden beds that are close to an area that is infected with powdery mildew or black spot is sulfur dust used as a garden spray treatment.

Mix 8 tablespoons of the sulfur dust with a gallon of water. Put water and sulfur mixture in a gallon size yard and garden sprayer.

Then in the morning before the heat of the day, spray your plants and the soil in the garden, saturate the garden area with the sulfur formula, and leave it set for 20 minutes. Then with your garden hose rinse away the sulfur so that it does not harm your plants when the sun comes out.

If interested in the sulfur dust treatment for powdery mildew you can buy it a walmart.com Look for the brand Bonide sulfur dust fungicide.

Here is a video that will show you what powdery mildew looks like.    Learn how to prevent by reading this article  Ways to Prevent Powdery Mildew

6 Ways to Prevent Powdery Mildew

Powdery mildew is a fungus that will weaken and kill your plants. If left untreated it will infect the entire garden. The best way to prevent this powdery mildew is to understand the fungus and know what garden conditions will put a stop to the fungus from attacking your plants.

There are a few things that you can do to prevent powdery mildew. Know that you must check all of your plants for this fungus, even the ones you buy at garden centers.

1. Shop for and BUY healthy plants with green leaves and strong roots and stay away from the plants that are closeouts, not a good idea to nurse them back to health, they may be diseased and make your other plants in the garden sick.
2. Choose your gardens carefully, if your plants require full sun then give them what they need. All plants need airflow, so choose a garden bed that is not next to a wall or privacy fences.
3. Refrain from planting too close. Overcrowded gardens are attractive to powdery mildew due to the lack of airflow.
4. Keep gardens weeded. Watch for weed growth and pull out weeds when they are visible.
5. Remove all dead branches or leaves. Prune to keep plants healthy.
6. Water plants at the soil line with drip irrigation. Avoid getting leaves wet.

Here is a video that will show you what powdery mildew looks like.