This was not the idea


Alan had been wanting a hummingbird feeder in the yard for a while, so I picked up this pretty glass one from a going-out-of-business sale held by the owner of a chic local garden shop. We put it in the middle of the area most frequented by butterflies, thinking that hummingbirds would naturally be drawn to its locality.

I didn’t really expect to see any hummingbirds, as we’ve never spotted them in the yard before, and I didn’t much care either. There is so much action already (for a city garden): a cardinal’s nest in the mock orange, plenty of other birds bathing on the stones of the waterfall, demented squirrels, an occasional rabbit, and lots of butterflies. Not to mention all the bugs.

However. What I wasn’t prepared for was that the thing would become a bee exterminator. They were squeezing into its tiny little opening and then drowning in the sugar water—a truly horrible sight. So now it has this dahlia stuck there to stop them from going in, and of course now it is utterly silly and useless. So it goes.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Red bee balm and salvias work as well as a hummingbird feeder and you don't have to fill and clean them. It was pretty though.
LostRoses said…
I usually rely on salvias for the hummingbirds but every once in awhile my head is turned by a pretty feeder, and this was one of those times.

I'm glad you found that out before I ordered one. They caught my eye in the High Country Gardens catalog and it was firmly on my wish list -- till now. Thanks for the heads-up!
Carol Michel said…
I've heard that maintaining those feeders with sugar water is kind of a pain, and one of the problems is all the bees and ants that they attract.

Yes, just plain silliness. Plant the flowers instead.

(At least it was on sale)

Carol at May Dreams Gardens
Anonymous said…
Sounds like a design flaw to me!
lisa said…
I like the feeders with one tube hanging downward...the bugs cannot get in, don't seem to like even landing on it, and hummers like it fine. I had a small one, so it needed rinsed and refilled more often so the water did not get rancid. My cute glass feeder was broken by a @%#&*squirrel though, so for now the hummers only have flowers. They still come around regardless.

Popular Posts