Yippee!! My experiment
is working quite well. No longer do I have to deal with messy, sticky nectar
feeders for hummingbirds on a regular basis. But I still have lots of
hummingbirds dropping by and/or living in nearby vegetation.
Instead of regularly
handling messy nectar feeders, I planted large masses of colorful, native
flowers. Their nectar is what hummingbirds eat naturally, attracted by the
brightly-colored flowers. In my yard, I use lantana, Turks cap and flame
acanthus. But you could use any native
Texas flower. Hummingbirds will love you
for it, and visit often. And I’m able to put my nectar feeders away.
I’ll only use my feeders twice a year – when hummingbirds arrive and when they “pork up” to leave (late September).
I’ll only use my feeders twice a year – when hummingbirds arrive and when they “pork up” to leave (late September).
You can put away your
nectar feeders too. But please forego the planting until late winter or early spring,
when plants are starting to grow. My advice to anyone wanting to plant in our summer
is to throw the plants you buy directly into the trash, saving one step. :)
Move along, Mr. Wasp Wasps (primarily “paper wasps”) tend to build nests in the
worst places. If they’re prone to
building nests on the underside of your roof eaves or the platform
of your birdfeeder, try rubbing some bar soap there first. The soap
prevents them from attaching the wasp nest.
(I’m told foil works too, but you may not like how it looks)
Owen Yost, in addition to blogging, is a Landscape
Architect emeritus from here, who‘s worked in north Texas for over 30
years. He is a member of the American
Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Society of Landscape
Architects, the National BirdFeeding Society, National Wildlife Federation and
the Audubon Society. He was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award by the
Native Plant Society of Texas. His Denton design office is at northwestern68@yahoo.com
