Butterflies and Hummingbirds

I have a little hummingbird who likes to fly by, but I haven't seen it stop at my house. Should I get a feeder? Or any suggestions for plants so the little guy will stop and visit?

I heard weigela shrubs often attract butterflies and hummingbirds?
I have more of a woodsy, asian theme going on, I noticed lots of the plants suggested are for more of a cottage garden. Do hummingbirds really like trumpet vines?

How wonderful to have a hummingbird come to visit you. We don't have hummingbirds this side of the Atlantic so I'm quite envious and not in a position to give much advice. However, I do remember seeing hummingbirds in Canada years ago and the place where I was staying had hummingbird feeders hanging from the eaves. Could you try this if your garden theme isn't suitable for the type of flowers they like? Try googling Hummingbird feeder - i came up with a list of places and this site http://www.hummingbirds.net/feeders.html gives you a recipe for the sugar solution. Good luck and if it stops by can you post a photo - I'd love to see it.

We have a moth called a Hummingbird moth over here - but not near my garden unfortunately. They look remarkably similar when they are feeding from a flower.

They will usually go for flowers that are bright colors like red/orange and have a tubular sort of shape. I know they like Salvias and Agastaches and I'm sure you could grow those in your area. They do like trumpet vines too, but those can be rather invasive and aggressive so I'd try a feeder before I'd plant one of those.

ecrane3 nailed it. They go for "tube" flowers and Red/orange is their favorite color. Of all plants I think Agastache their favorite. It comes in two types, a fuzzy and tube flower. Make sure you focus on the tube type, which is generally the reds/oranges the fuzzy agastache is usually the blue/purples. You can see what they like http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catalog/find/results/?category=&query=&tags%5Bbloom-time%5D=&tags%5Bsun%5D=&tags%5Bmoisture%5D=&tags%5Bsoil%5D=&tags%5Bheight%5D=&tags%5Bflower-color%5D=&tags%5Bregions%5D=&tags%5Battracts-hummingbirds%5D=1002&zone=7&x=29&y=17 but don't believe their pictures at that site they're heavily edited so aren't that good looking.

FYI, hummingbirds are mean aggresive and territorial. They're extremely mean to one another and known to do nothing all day but sit and attack any other humming bird that thinks about trying to get near their food source. If you decide to put up a couple humming bird feeders, it's usually pointless to put them near each other one humming bird will attempt to dominate and attack others trying to get to either of the feeders. Try to seperate them on opposite sides of your house, preferably not within view of each other. I also recommend if you do grow plants, put a group on each side of your house.

I would go ahead and put out a feeder until you can get your flowers established (actually, I have feeders AND flowers). If you can get one to start using your feeder, it will bring it's young to it and you will begin building your population for your feeder. Be sure your feeder has lots of red on it. Wal Mart has a good one that's not too expensive and they readily come to it--glass with red plastic reservoir and yellow "flowers" on it). I tried a real pretty (and rather expensive) copper feeder and they all completely ignored it and went for the Wal Mart one. The pretty copper one is stored in my pantry and I have several Wal Mart feeders out which stay real busy all day. BTW, I mix my own sugar water. As long as there is red on the feeder, the "nector" doesn't have to be red too.

Thanks so much! I'll get a hummingbird feeder tomorrow and pick me up some tube flowers. One of the guys at a local nursery told me you should make sure to take your hummingbird feeders down after August or when temperatures drop in the fall, if you leave them out the hummingbirds stay around instead of migrating and die.... how sad.

I'll make sure to post a picture if I am successful :)

Found this info on the website Buddleja gave me.
Guess leaving them out doesn't mess up their migration after all.....

When to Take Down the Feeder
Hummingbirds will NOT delay migration if a feeder is present; they are driven by forces more powerful than hunger. If you live in the southeastern U.S., leaving a feeder up might attract one of the western hummers that visit the region in small numbers every winter. The Pacific coast of the U.S. (and extreme southwestern Canada) has a population of non-migratory Anna's Hummingbirds; if a feeder is maintained over the winter, hummers will visit it year-round. Some other locations near the Mexican border also have winter populations of several hummingbird species.

A 'birdologist' once told me that you should NEVER color the sugar water with a red coloring because the red coloring will give the hummingbirds hemoroids.

Red on the container is all you need to attract them.

'Nature'... you can probably still use the Copper one if red tape is put around it... unless the copper gives of a odd taste that the birds do not like?

What about 'Goldflame" honeysuckle? It would still go with the asian theme of Flowerprimcess's garden, and it isn't invasive. Are they known to attract hummingbirds?