Creating a bird-freindly garden.

Winters are dismal days for gardeners. Our heady summer fling with that fickle paramour, the garden, has ended once again. Lonely, depressed. Feeling dumped by our delphiniums. Abandoned by our petunias. Now pining away over those glossy garden catalogs.
Attracting Huming Birds to your garden Views in Garret County Tiny, iridescent hummingbirds can be an exciting addition to your backyard wildlife habitat. If hummingbirds live in your area, you can attract them by planting red, tubular flowers. There are many red-flowered plants to choose from. Over 160 native, North American plants depend exclusively on hummingbirds for pollination. Many of the red-flowered annuals, perennials, vines, and shrubs available from mail order sources or local garden centers have been developed from the native red-flowered plants of the western hemisphere. Here is a list of some of the plants that most successfully attract hummingbirds: Bee-balm Fire pink Scarlet petunia Red buckeye Geiger tree Scarletbush Coral bells Trumpet honeysuckle Trumpet-creeper Cardinal-flower Scarlet penstemon Scarlet morning-glory Cypress vine Scarlet paintbrush Scarlet salvia As a supplementary source of food, hummingbird feeders can be hung in your Backyard Wildlife Habitat. Many types of feeders are available and all should be filled with a boiled solution of four parts water to one part white refined sugar or a commercial "nectar" mix. Do not use honey solutions in feeders as they may produce a fungal disease fatal to hummingbirds. Sugar water feeders should be cleaned every three to five days using a brush and a mild detergent solution. Rinse well. HUMMINGBIRD FACTS: The smallest bird in the world, the Cuban bee hummingbird, is 2 1/4 inches long - about the size of a bumble bee. Hummingbirds, like helicopters, can hover. They can also move ahead, sideways, or backward at will. A ruby-throated hummingbird, weighing about one tenth of an ounce, can travel 600 miles in migration. Hummingbirds not only sip nectar, but also eat tiny insects and spiders. They may drink up to eight times their body weight daily in water. Although their normal body temperature is about 103°F (40°C), it may drop to 70°F (21°C) at night. They have the ability to endure temporary cool weather or cool nights by becoming dormant. There are 340 species of hummingbirds in the world and all are found only in the western hemisphere. Of these, only one, the ruby-throated hummingbird, is found regularly east of the Mississippi. Flying consumes a great deal of a hummingbird's energy. Wingbeats have been measured at 20-200 beats per second.				Our Main Perennial fern Page is below! There is much Fern Growing information Here.       A Gardener's Best Freind!      The Feathered Bug Eaters. Birds:   ATTRACTING BIRDS TO YOUR WINTER GARDEN No garden is complete without birds. Native trees and shrubs are essential if you wish to attract the widest range of native birds. Tall trees and prickly shrubs also provide shelter and protection from predators. Planning your Native Garden You can increase the pleasure and satisfaction you get from your native garden by careful planning and plant selection. You should try, if possible, to create a mixture of over-storey, middle-storey and under-storey using trees, large shrubs, small shrubs, wildflowers and grasses. This combination will attract native birds which feed on nectar, insects, fruit and seeds. Dense and prickly shrubs can also be planted to provide protection from predators at ground level. Try and plant some species which flower in winter when food is scarce. Birds are attracted to plantings which create small dense patches of green interfacing with open sunlight. Water for Birds Birds are attracted by water to drink and to bathe in. Some COG members have found that water features are as important in attracting birds as native plants. If possible water depths varying from 3 to 8 cm should be used. Bird baths must be out of reach of cats (at least 1.7 m above the ground) and preferably under a shaded branch or perch where birds can enter and leave safely. You must really choose between having a free roaming cat and having birds - the two are not compatible. Alternatively, you could build a back yard cat run allowing room for your cat to exercise, whilst protecting native birds in the rest of your garden. Bird baths need regular refilling and cleaning to remove green algae and the exotic berry seeds which are regurgitated by Pied Currawongs. Nest Materials Warehouse In early spring, a small platform placed high in the garden offering a supply of suitable nesting materials is another way of attracting birds to your garden. Suitable materials are human or animal hair, small lengths of wool, dry soft grass, teased out cotton wool and clean carpet fluff or underfelt. Putting out Food The continual artificial feeding of native birds is not recommended as it may lead to a long term decrease in numbers through increased dependence on artificial food, obesity, nutritional deficiencies and ultimately reproduction failures. However, during winter and spring small amounts of wild bird seed or chopped fresh meat can be placed out for birds provided this is done infrequently and at irregular intervals. Do not use processed human food. Plants Needing Little Water Many plants you can grow require very little water in addition to natural rainfall. By appropriate siting, you can make better use of wet, dry, sunny and shady areas in your garden, and reduce the costs of watering. SOME RECOMMENDED PLANTS