The botanical name is important because there are two Monardas generally available at garden centers and in online catalogues – both have been hybridized. Monarda didyma and Monarda fistulosa. Monarda didyma’s common name is Scarlet Bee Balm and this plant is the hummingbird magnet – it is always red. Monarda fistulosa is Wild Bergamot. It […]
A hummingbird magnet! Native to parts of the U.S. – generally our southern states. It has also been declared a noxious weed in some areas so consult your state’s website that deals with plants. If you are going to grow a Trumpet Vine, then you must take care of it by regularly pruning it and […]
Most of us living in the lower 48 states are still in the midst of migration. Here in central Illinois, most of the birds who spend the spring and summer with us have left for their winter homes. One of the exceptions is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Although most hummingbirds are gone, we still have a […]
Sometimes when stuff happens it is just sooooooo aggravating. Which is what Cleon and I experienced this morning when we looked out at the hummingbird and oriole feeders that you could see on the birdbath cam. Both cups of the oriole feeder were on the ground and licked clean. The lids were off two of […]
Spring is the time for new beginnings, arrivals, and wild swings of weather. If you have been watching the birdfeeder cam over the last few weeks, you have seen the feeders swaying in the wind – which does not seem to deter the birds at all. Here is what is happening in our yard and […]