Let's Grow Stuff

- Greetings from the garden.

My name is Ben and welcome back to Let's Grow Stuff.

Today, we're talking about hummingbirds and how our gardens can support them.

So, let's jump in and get started.

[upbeat music] Today, we're at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin, and we're joined by Brenna Marsicek, who is the Director of Communications and Outreach with Madison Audubon.

She is going to help us get up to speed on hummingbirds and how our gardens can support them.

Brenna, thanks so much for being with us today.

- Thanks for having me, Ben.

I'm glad to be here.

So, Wisconsin has only one species of common and nesting hummingbirds, which is the Ruby-Throated.

Hummingbirds make their way to our gardens during the spring migration in April and May.

So you can start to make helpful decisions that support hummingbirds in early spring.

They're coming from their winter grounds in South America, and will need to rest and refuel when they get here.

So you'll want to be ready with both a feeder and a plan for staggered flowering plants that last throughout the season.

– Ben: So we should try and have something flowering spring through autumn.

Now what type of plants work best?

- Hmm, good question.

Hummingbirds really prefer red and orange flowers because they can see in ultraviolet, which makes those colors look even more vivid and radiant.

Tubular flowers are also a good choice since hummingbird's long beaks are well adapted to reach inside and suck up the nectar.

- So, does that mean that hummingbirds are also pollinators?

- Absolutely.

They carry pollen with them from plant to plant.

- Well, that is super cool.

So, with that in mind, let's look at what we can plant to keep the blooms coming from spring through fall.

First step in spring, Wild Columbine and Virginia Bluebells.

Both of these plants prefer to grow in shade and they do well on a forest edge or in a shady area.

Bluebells will slowly spread and colonize over time through underground roots.

Columbine will recede and can benefit from editing over time so it doesn't overtake a garden.

– Brenna: Next, let's plan for early summer with Royal Catchfly and Michigan Lily.

These plants both appreciate full sun and will also tolerate partial sun.

- So, we've made it to the height of summer and it's wonderful to have something in our gardens like Bergamot.

This native plant prefers full sun.

On a warm summer day, when this plant is in full bloom, it exudes a spicy minted fragrance.

Consider planting it where you'll be able to enjoy it visually and aromatically.

Bergamot will spread by underground runners and may need some editing to keep it in check by year three.

- Jewelweed is a native species and the only annual plant on our list.

It thrives in full shade, especially along streams and in wet areas.

It'll reseed readily when it's happy, so you may need to edit this plant from one season to the next to keep it in check.

– Ben: Finally, Cardinal Flower.

This plant is a statement maker with tall spikes of tubular red flowers.

It can take full sun if it's always moist.

This is a great plant for a rain garden.

Well, now that we have a plan for our garden, is there anything else that we should keep in mind?

- Definitely.

You could think about adding some space for hummingbirds to nest in your yard.

So that could be with a native tree or a shrub like a Service Berry or Pagoda Dogwood that you could find at a local nursery.

Hummingbirds build new nests every year and they need trees and shrubs like these with dense branching for shelter.

Another thing to remember: do not put any artificial dye in the feeding solution as that actually harms the birds.

You can put your feeders either very close to the windows, like within three feet or far away from the windows, like more than 30 feet.

This helps prevent the hummingbirds from hitting the windows.

Finally, avoid using chemicals and pesticides on your plants, which can harm the hummingbirds as they drink nectar from the flowers.

- Well, Brenna, thank you so much for sharing your time and your expertise with us today.

If people want to learn more about your work at Madison Audubon, where can they go?

- Folks can go to madisonaudubon.org.

And thank you for having me.

It's been great to be here.

- Well, there you have it.

Our gardens could be havens for all sorts of wildlife.

And hummingbirds, in particular, are wonderful to observe as they buzz and hum around your garden.

Now don't forget, there is so much more to learn at PBSwisconsin.org/ letsgrowstuff.

There, we have more videos, tips, tricks, and a blog to help you grow a better garden.

So until next time, happy gardening.

- Funding for Let's Grow Stuff is provided by American Transmission Company, Ganshert Nursery & Landscapes, Willy Street Co-op, Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programming, and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.