Hummingbird Gardens in the Urban Setting

Hummingbird Gardens in the Urban Setting.

Hummingbird gardens need native nectar flowers. Optionally, hummingbird feeders can be used too.
This urban garden’s hummingbird feeder has been in place for a couple years. One individual hummingbird had visited irregularly. The native Beebalm was part of the new design. This summer multiple hummingbirds visit the flowers every day, largely ignoring the feeder.

Recently we were invited to design + build several urban hummingbird gardens. The urban setting is a wonderful spot to create hummingbird garden sanctuaries. The concept of giving city dwelling wildlife a safe space to feed, drink, hide and reproduce in wildlife gardens is an exceptional one. Literally a lifesaving idea. Utilizing different design elements and specific native plant choices we can easily tailor the garden space to create hummingbird gardening conditions.

 

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Hummingbirds love the nectar of Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), which is also a larval host plant for the Monarch butterfly. Obviously, this bright pink flower wears a lot of ecological hats.

Cardinal Lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis)
Cardinal Lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis) is the quintessential hummingbird plant.

Planting the native species Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) is another easy way to attract hummingbirds to your garden space. Of course, hummingbirds love the plant’s nectar and easy to access, red tube-shaped flowers. Besides, Cardinal Lobelia can tolerate a shady location and moist soil. All in all, you can create quite the hummingbird garden oasis using natural, organic material!

Hummingbird gardens should have a lot of pollinator plants like the Mountain Mints.
Hummingbird gardens should have a lot of pollinator plants like the Mountain Mints.

Hummingbirds have a voracious appetite for insects. Accordingly, they often eat an equivalent volume of half their body weight in insect bulk per day. Therefore, another strategy for hummingbird gardens includes lots of pollen rich native plants like the Mountain Mints. Our hummingbird gardens should have a sign that says, “Welcome, pollinators!

How to hire Jessecology for the hummingbird gardens you want to enjoy at home:

We’d love to meet you! Certainly, our team can design + build hummingbird gardens for you. Please fill out our customer intake form and we’ll be in touch soon.