I get excited every spring to prepare my garden for its lovely little aerial acrobats, the hummingbirds! After 30 years of specific gardening to attract these little beauties, the success is in the details. Here are a few of my favorite tips that can help make your yard a paradise for hummingbirds.

1. Starting with Native Trumpet-shaped Flowers

The flowers that attract hummingbirds the most have a trumpet shape. Some great examples are trumpet honeysuckle, bee balm, and the cardinal flower. Instead of planting single specimens, plant clumps of several plants. Large groupings will attract more hummingbirds to the area because they will be noticed from above. To have flowers blooming all season, make sure to plant specimens that have different bloom times.

2. Create Different Feeding Stations

Since hummingbirds can be quite territorial, it is important to have multiple feeders to allow everyone a chance to feed. Try to set up feeders at different heights and positions. Select feeders that have red accents as it is known that red is an attractive color for hummingbirds, and try to space the feeders 10-12 feet apart from each other. Also, remember not to use honey or artificial sweeteners as these are bad for the birds. Use a four parts water to one part white sugar solution for filling the feeders.

3. Create a Water Feature

Hummingbirds enjoy mist and water sprays. Misting devices and fountains will provide drinking and bathing opportunities. They will appreciate the addition to flowering plants they already visit. During the warm summer months, you can enjoy watching them hover in the gentle mists.

4. Plan a Tiered Garden Layout

To entice hummingbirds to your garden, you should try planting a variety of plants that have differing heights. As your garden beds will have differing heights, the hummingbirds will frequent those heights to feed and perch. For example, in the back of your garden bed, you can plant tall hollyhocks or Delphinium and in the middle, you can put some mid-height Salvia's and in the front, you can place some shorter Penstemon. This arrangement allows the hummingbirds to easily maneuver around and use the resting spaces.

5. Establish Perching Spots

Most people think these birds are always flying because of their active appearance. In fact, they spend about 80% of their time perched! To create perches for resting, stake thin branches, garden stakes, or decorative metal rods near feeding areas. Perch sites are excellent for watching birds at feeding stations, as well as for resting spots.

6. Keep A Routine When Feeding

When you start feeding hummingbirds, you should already have a consistent feeding routine prepared. In cool weather, clean and refill the feeders every two to three days. While in hot weather, do these daily. Hummingbirds tend to have good memorials, and will continue to visit dependable food sources for many years. If you want a large and consistent population of hummingbirds, you will need to be consistent with your feeding.

7. Create Shelter Areas

To protect hummingbirds from both predators and bad weather, consider planting small trees or large shrubs around feeding stations. This provides shelter as well as escape routes from predators. Additionally, potted flowering vines or flowering trellised arbors provide good protective cover as well as nectar sources. Dense foliage plants such as butterfly bushes and rose of Sharon are also good.

8. Avoid Pesticides

There are different ways of protecting your mission garden visitors. Instead of using pesticides that will also hurt hummingbirds, you can foster the small insects that will feed the birds. Try to maintain an environment that will attract and support hummingbirds and improve your use of organic gardening methods.

9. Extend Blooming Seasons

With proper planning, your garden can feature flowers and blooms as long as there is no frost. If you plant Columbines, which bloom nice blue flowers in the spring, then add some summer favorites, such as Bee Balms and Penstemons, and finish with some Autumn Sages that bloom and so fall, you can keep your garden colorful, and, along with a hummingbird feeding station, keep your garden a favorite of the hummingbirds.\

10. Provide Nesting Materials

Putting out materials for them to build their nests will help hummingbirds nest. Suitable materials would be cotton, down from plants, and spider silk. Some gardeners hang little bundles of dryer lint or cotton in mesh bags by the hummingbird feeders, but the ones provided the most naturally occurring materials will be the best.

11. Cleaning Feeding Stations

Birds’ health depends on the cleanliness of the feeders. Clean feeders every week and use one part white vinegar for every four parts water. Scrub all the feeding ports. Do not use soap. Soap can kill birds. If you have any feeders that are old or have mold, replace them immediately.

12. Create Wind Protection

Wind barriers are important, as small birds struggle to fly in strong winds. In this case, placing tall and strong perennials or ornamental wind barriers by the feeding stations would help. Hummingbirds would find it easier to feed and navigate through the garden during the spring and autumn migration periods.

13. Design Color-Rich Zones

Bright flowers signal to migratory hummingbirds that your garden is a food source. Bright red, pink, or purple flowers will attract a large number of them. Cardinal flowers, Fuchsia and Coral Bells will help create zones for hummingbirds to land while also advertising your garden from great heights.

14. Create Morning Sun Zones

For best observation of hummingbirds\' activity, it is best to set up feeders for morning sunrise as they will need to refuel after resting. Place your feeders closest to the sun. It is hypothesized that warmer flowers will produce nectar sooner.

15. Add Vertical Growing Elements

Climbing flowering plants and tall stakes made of flowers attract even more hummingbirds to your garden. Natural feeding towers made out of trumpet creepers, morning glories, and cardinal climbers are some of the plants that hummingbirds are attracted to. Furthermore, these plants increase the layered habitats necessary to provide protection and navigation for the agile hummingbirds.