Hummingbird Gardens

With their glittering gorgets, spirited personalities, and wings that hum like nature’s engines, hummingbirds are among the most enchanting visitors a garden can welcome. These tiny pollinators return to New Jersey each spring after wintering in Mexico and Central America. Creating a hummingbird-friendly garden is a vibrant way to greet them—and Rohsler’s has everything you need to get started.

Plants That Attract Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are drawn to a variety of nectar-rich flowers, especially those with tube-shaped blooms. Favorites include agastache, cardinal flower, columbine, lupines, morning glory, salvia, trumpet creeper, wild bergamot, and multiple types of lilies. Rohsler’s expert staff can help select the best mix for your unique garden conditions and suggest companion plants to boost appeal.

All the colors of the rainbow

These fast-flying visitors are especially responsive to bright hues like red, orange, yellow, and purple. Planting in bold color blocks enhances visibility and turns your garden into a beacon for hummingbirds. The popularity of red in feeder designs isn’t a coincidence—it’s a proven hummingbird magnet. Even red clothing or hair can catch their attention!

Here birdy birdy

The most common species in our region, the ruby-throated hummingbird, features emerald-green feathers with snowy bellies. Males sport a fiery ruby-colored throat patch called a gorget, which shimmers in just the right light. Their wings beat roughly 80 times per second, enabling them to zip forward, backward, and hover—often without resting long enough for us to admire them.

feeding the hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are territorial and fiercely protective of their food sources. You can offer supplemental nutrition by hanging feeders filled with homemade nectar: 1 part sugar to 4 parts boiled water. Store unused nectar in the refrigerator and avoid additives—just sugar and water.

To ensure safe feeding:

• Hang feeders in shade and away from cats
• Clean every three days using only hot water (no detergent)
• Change nectar regularly
• Use ant guards and remove any mold with a gentle scrub (sand helps reach small areas)

While ruby-throats are our locals, keep an eye out for surprise visitors such as Rufous, Allen’s, or Calliope hummingbirds—migratory wanderers that occasionally stop by.

Whether you’re planting for color, pollinators, or pure joy, hummingbirds bring motion and magic to any garden. Let Rohsler’s help you design a space that feeds and fascinates—your garden will be humming in no time.