Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
are almost here!
It’s been a long cold winter here in the Washington D.C. metro area. But, believe it or not, the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are being spotted in nearby Virginia. To track their migration or better yet, to participate in a little citizen science, log your first sightings at:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html.
Putting up feeders now is very important since it has not been warm enough in our 
area for established nectar-giving perennials to bloom. The hummingbirds will need a readily available food source as they migrate north from South America.
I usually supplement my hummingbird feeders by hanging baskets of annual tubular flowers in the red family such as fuchsia or snapdragons, but it is too early to assume that our overnight freezing temperatures are completely a thing of the past. The best rule of thumb is to wait until Mother’s Day to plant annuals in our area in order to avoid spring frosts. If you are like me, waiting requires serious discipline, but you will be rewarded with healthy plants that do not require a daily study of weather maps so you can protect them on very cold nights or worse, replace them when you forget.
So, get out those feeders, make your nectar and hang them up! You may get your first visitor as early as this week.
Here is a sneak peek of what you will soon be enjoying at your feeders:
Learn more here: How to attract Hummingbirds to your Garden.
Happy Gardening!