Clematis vines are unsurpassed for their profusion of colorful flowers. They offer a diverse range of flower color, size, and form. Flower colors range from blends of blue and red to yellow and white. Clematis vines can be used in both formal and natural landscapes. They provide the vertical element in a garden or can be left to ramble through other plants. They should be planted in an area that receives 5-6 hours of sunlight. Clematis vines require cool, damp soil, not wet. Clematis vines can be planted deep in the soil and benefit from having the crown buried 4" below the soil surface. Plant Clematis where the base of the plant receives some shade. For Clematis care: When you get it home, place it into the sunshine. Clematis prefer to be grown DRY, so just spot water. Water only when plants are dry using a water soluble fertilizer such as 20-20-20 or 20-10-20 at a rate of 150 ppm constant liquid feed. A clear water irrigation is a good idea every 3rd or 4th watering. Continue to tie plants to trellis-winding around trellis. Do not cut back as this will be where the next buds will appear. Plants will have to be tied every week to keep the nice appearance. Pruning Your Clematis Although pruning is not necessary, in order to achieve the best flowering from your clematis, they are routinely divided into the following three pruning categories: Type 1. These grow directly from old stems, so prune right after all flowering is completed. Prune if space is limited or to remove dead and weak stems. Do not prune late in the season. Clematis can be pruned as short as 6" above the crown of the plant. Type 2. Clematis typically flower before mid-June on stems from the previous season's wood. Pruning should be completed in late winter or early spring when buds begin to swell. Remove dead material above these swelling buds. Be sure all new growth is retied. Type 3. This group blooms later and from new growth. They should be pruned in February or March as new leaf buds begin to show low on the plant. Remove all dead material above the buds at this time. This can be as short as 6" above the crown of the plant.

Want to appeal to hummingbirds? Consider these flowers they love to visit. Little John Bottlebrush Hummingbirds love these red “bottle-brush-“ shaped blooms that pop out at the perfect time hummingbirds are fluttering fast through Acadiana. These are hardy evergreen dwarf shrubs that go great in any landscape. The “Hannah Ray” tree-form variety is a wispy focal point. Bee Balm Bee balm's blooms appear in mid to late summer, and can even remain into the fall. The striking flowers come in white, pink, red or purple, and complement the dark, aromatic foliage. This perennial is susceptible to powdery mildew, so plant in full sun to part shade and select resistant varieties. Bee balm likes medium to wet soil and works well in a wildlife garden. Bee balm is attractive to bees, but this bergamot is equally attractive to hummingbirds. Butterfly Bush Buddleia davidii attracts butterflies with its blooms of lavender, pink, white, purple, red or yellow. These blooms can appear beginning in early spring and continue until first frost. In full sun, butterfly bush can grow up to 10 feet tall. Butterfly bush is an aggressive grower, and removing spent blooms will encourage more attractive, fragrant flowers for a long period. Grow in massed plantings in cottage gardens and butterfly gardens, and use in border plantings. Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis features reddish purple stems, bronzy leaves and scarlet flowers. A perennial, it can reach four feet tall and spread up to 36 inches wide. Cardinal flower appreciates full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Consider growing in a container in a wetlands setting, and water this plant often. Cardinal flower blooms beginning in mid summer through the first frost. Cigar Plant Cigar plant is slow to take off in spring, but by the time hummers arrive in fall, they are in full bloom! Many varieties are available, but the name comes from the orange variety with a purple-black tip on the tubular bloom, resembling a smoldering cigar. Pink and yellow varieties are also common. A related plant, the Bat-Face Cuphea, makes bright red blooms with two purple wings that resemble a bat’s ears. Hummers love them all equally. Delphinium Hummingbirds love delphinium, which blooms in early summer. Height for these perennials can average anywhere from 2 to 8 feet tall, depending on variety. Delphinium requires rich soil, and areas with relatively cool summers. ‘Diamonds Blue’ is a variety bred for the heat that will tolerate our weather much better. Foxglove If you’re thinking about adding a cottage-garden look, you may want to consider foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), which may extend up to 6 feet when in bloom, depending on the variety and growing conditions. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and full sun to medium shade. Its blossoms — in purple, pink, yellow and white — attract hummingbirds. Please note that all parts of the plant are poisonous to people, pets and livestock. Foxglove is considered invasive along the West Coast and in some parts of New England. Mexican Fire Bush This subshrub or perennial plant produces loads of orange tubular blooms that are a delight to hummingbirds. It will flower best in uninterrupted full sun, and doesn’t mind being a little dry. Flower time is from early summer all through fall. Though a variegated variety, ‘Lime Sizzler’ adds a wonderful chartreuse splash to tropical gardens, the old-fashioned standard will produce the most flowers. Porterweed Though each flower is very tiny and dainty, they are borne on long flowering stems, so plants are typically loaded with little purple flowers that hummers love. Porterweed is semi-tropical, and might not survive a sudden, hard freeze. Keep it in a pot that can be brought in on cold nights, or replant in spring. Though they are typically purple, red or coral varieties are also available. Salvia All salvia species are characterized by vertical spikes of vibrant flowers that can be found in hues of blue, red, pink or violet. Bloom time varies according to variety, and their flowers are a welcome sight for hummingbirds. Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips' is an erect, clump forming perennial salvia that is noted for its compact form, long bloom period, purple stems and red and white flowers.  Yarrow Varieties of the tough summer-blooming yarrow come in yellow, white, orange, red, pink and coral. Butterflies and hummingbirds enjoy its blooms, which start early in the season and can last into mid fall, depending on the species and variety. Yarrow grows best in well-drained, average to poor soil, and can reach up to 48 inches. Trumpet Vine A beautiful climber for any structure, this vine blooms trumpet-shaped coral flowers that are also known as “hummingbird vine” since they love it! The foliage is dense and evergreen, and it loves full sun to part shade.

When fertilizing plants, the two most common options are using either a water soluble or a slow release granule fertilizer. Slow release granule fertilizers are products that are applied around the plant’s root system at the time of planting and throughout its life. The granules are applied in dry form and watered in to begin the feeding process. A slow release is any dry form of fertilizer that has its nitrogen in slow release form. Water soluble fertilizer is food for the plant that is comprised of easily dissolved components in water. You would mix a certain amount of the fertilizer per gallon of water and the mix becomes nutrients for plants. There are advantages and disadvantages with each fertilizer option. Slow Release Granule Fertilizer Advantages: · The nutrients release into the plant slowly and a majority of the elements released are absorbed and used by the plant. · It’s easy to use by sprinkling in the pellets. Disadvantages: · Since most of the nitrogen is slow release, positive results in the plants may not occur quickly. · The purchase price is higher. Water Soluble Fertilizer Advantages: · Quick releasing fertilizer provides quick results so there is instant gratification. · Since it is mixed with water per gallon, it goes a long way, which makes the cost low for providing fertilizer to many specimens. Disadvantages: · It takes a little time and effort to mix with the water and spread out. · Since the fertilizer is instantly absorbed by the plants, 90% of the nutrition are wasted because plants can only absorb a small amount of vitamins in a short period of time.

One of the most popular annual bedding plants in Louisiana is vinca, or periwinkle. It is well-known for its prolific and long blooming season and is the favored flowering plant of choice for home gardeners and professional landscapers around the state for warm season color. Vinca (Catharanthus roseus) is a heat- and drought-tolerant plant that normally thrives under Louisiana growing conditions. Thirty years ago, periwinkle flower colors were limited to white, white with a red eye and a rosy purple. Breeding work in the 1980s involved crossing Catharanthus roseus with other species to improve the color range, increase blooming and flower size and improve the growth habit. Vincas now come in a plethora of colors, including pink, deep rose, red, scarlet, white, white with a red eye, lavender blue, peach, apricot, orchid, burgundy and many other shades. They generally grow from 10 to 18 inches tall with a spread of about 1 foot, although trailing types spread to about 2 feet. If you want to have the best vinca in your landscape, consider these practices. – Select a full-sun planting location with eight hours of direct sun daily. – Prepare the landscape bed to allow for drainage and aeration. Raise the bed at least 6 inches if drainage is questionable. – Plant in soil with a pH level of 5.5. Vincas need acidic soil. – Avoid planting earlier than May. Soil and nighttime temperatures need to be warm prior to planting. May 1 is the recommended planting date. Many times, home gardeners and landscapers plant vinca in landscape beds in late March and April. – Plant so that the top of the root ball is level with or slightly higher than the soil of the bed. Proper spacing also is important because crowded planting limits air circulation and can create conditions more favorable for disease development. Space transplants at least 10-12 inches apart. – Mulch to decrease splashing of rainfall and irrigation water from soil to the lower stems and foliage of the plants. However, avoid excessive mulching to prevent continuous wetting of the plant crowns. – Manage irrigation properly. Vinca require minimal irrigation. Avoid overhead irrigation, when practical. When plants make it through the spring and early summer without disease, hold back irrigation or Alternaria leaf spotting – another fungal disease – may develop heading into fall. – Don’t plant vincas in the same bed year after year. – Don’t plant periwinkles in beds where Phytophthora blight has been a problem in the past. There is good news. New vinca varieties are resistant to some diseases. The Cora and Nirvana series are some of the newer vincas that have genetics in the breeding that makes these varieties resistant to Phytophthora blight. The new Valiant series from PanAmerican Seed for 2016 also shows great promise in disease resistance.

DIG container gardening by planting a thriller, fillers and spillers for eye-catching containers! Use a powerful blend of soil ideal for container gardening such as Happy Frog, Ocean Forest or Strawberry Fields. All of these are rich in nature’s treasured ingredients like bat guano and earthworm castings. Watch your pots explode in color! Click here to watch our Tip Clip on Container Gardening! Click here for our blog on the Container Garden Recipe! Plant for pollinators! Milkweed feeds the monarchs, and other colorful favorites attract butterflies, which benefit all of us. Plants like Lantana, Butterfly Bush, Coneflower, Zinnias, Pincushion flower, Salvias and Lavender, among many others, ensure your garden is on the butterfly’s radar! Click here to watch our Tip Clip on Pollinator Plants! Click here for our blog on The Power of Pollination! South Louisiana is synonymous with a hot summer! When temperatures rise, there are several heat-loving annuals and perennials that can take the heat such as: Zinnias, Pentas, Angeolina, Lantana, Marigolds, Cosmos, Black Eyed Susans, Celosia, Vinca, Portulacca, Salvia, Coreopsis, Blanket Flower, Verbena and more! Click here for our Tip Clip on Heat-Loving Annuals! Wondering if your plants will recover after the freeze? Try scratching the bark with your thumbnail. If the tissue underneath is green, it’s still alive! If the tissue is tan or brown, it’s unfortunately dead. Start at the top and work your way down to see how far back the plant was zapped. Replacement plants can be a fresh new start to this new spring season! Click here to watch our Tip Clip on Freeze Replacement Plants! DIG the tropics by planting a tropical beauty to brighten up your season! Tropical plants love our South Louisiana heat and humidity so they do well in ground or containers when planted in the full sun. They prefer warm to cooler temperatures, therefore will need protection come winter. Click here to watch our Tip Clip on Tropical Plants! A treasured tropical plant is the Bougainvillea. The BouGain fertilizer is specially formulated for this vining plant’s unique growing habits and promotes beautiful blooms to your benefit! Simply water your bougainvillea, add this to the top soil, water it in and let the blooms begin! Click here to watch our Tip Clip on Bougainvillea & BouGAIN! A treasured and recognizable tropical plant is the Hibiscus. Most people want to know the best way to ensure it keeps blooming all summer. The HibisGain fertilizer is specially formulated solely for Hibiscus. Simply water your hibiscus, add this to the top soil, water it in and let the blooms begin! Click here to watch our Tip Clip on Hibiscus & HibisGAIN! You’ll really grow this Spring by planting your favorites paired with Blooming and Rooting Soluble Plant Food! This special blend promotes vigorous blooming and root development by simply adding to water, mixing, and applying. Use every time you water for big and beautiful flowers all season! Click here to watch our Tip Clip on Blooming and Rooting Fertilizer! Fertilizing your plants ensures they leaf, bud and bloom their best life. Select fertilizer by reading the bag’s 3 numbers: first is the nitrogen content; second is phosphorous; third is potassium. From an all-purpose blend to an acid-loving formula, the goal Happy Frog fertilizers is to make all your plants GROW! Click here to watch our Tip Clip on Happy Frog Fertilizers! When planting a vegetable garden, mix Happy Frog Soil Conditioner with in ground soil for optimal results. This will help enhance root efficiency, and enable your plants to take up nutrients. The results are enhanced production for a more delicious harvest! Top your garden off with Happy Frog Tomato & Veggie Fertilizer! Click here to watch our Tip Clip on Veggie Gardening with Soil Conditioner! The best control of your St. Augustine, Zoysia, Centipede and Carpetgrass lawn is the easy application of Weed & Feed! It’s a fertilizer and controls several weeds in your grass. It’s easy to apply- spread and water in! It’s a one and done lawn control for springtime! Click here to watch our Tip Clip on Weed & Feed for Lawn! Control Weeds in your Flowerbed with Sedgehammer! This safe, easy and effective product is ideal for eliminating coco grass in your flowerbeds. Drop it in a gallon of water, mix and spray. You’re done…and so is the cocograss! You may need to do 2-3 applications as more immerge. Click here to watch our Tip Clip on Sedghammer! Control weeds in your lawns with Celsius! This is easy-to-use and effective against 120+ types of pesky and ugly weeds crowding your turf! Among the weeds this targets are the common over takers such as Doveweed and Crabgrass. Click here to watch our Tip Clip on Celsius! Prepare for your events like graduations and memorial day by banishing the bugs! Talstar is ideal for controlling many pesky pests including fire ants for 6 months and mosquitos in the thatch for 3 months! Simply broadcast this granular out and water it in! Click here to watch our Tip Clip on Talstar! 

We've missed you! Now it's time to head out to visit us, make your plant purchases and get them properly planted in your yard or in containers! The sooner the better. In our tropical climate with the extreme heat and humidity that will occur June through September, it is very important to get all plants established and stable before it gets too hot. These plants will have a much better chance of making it through their first summer, which is the biggest challenge for new plantings in our area. Even a few weeks of time can make a big difference in whether these new plants can stabilize from the shock of being transplanted, and have ample time to start growing new feeder roots. One product that will definitely help with these two essential aspects for success is a product called Root Stimulator by Fertilome. This is an easy to use product. Just mix with water and pour over the roots of the plant. It helps with transplant shock and gives the plant nutrients, but most importantly, it stimulates new feeder roots. Proper watering throughout the first summer is also essential. Did you know that potting mixes and soils are not the same? Most commercial plants are grown in a soil-less mixture. Bark, peat, perlite and vermiculite are common components of this type of mix. To determine if a mix or soil is suitable for most plant growth, place that soil or mix in a container and water. Rather quickly, the water should drain from the bottom of the container. If it doesn't drain, it must be amended with coarse items to encourage drainage. Adding a premium bagged compost or planting mix to outdoor containers adds weight and will hold more moisture to facilitate blooming and hold the plant upright. MARCH TO DO LIST: -Plant perennials in the ground so they will be well established. -Restore color to beds and borders by replacing cool season annuals with summer bedding plants. -Summer vegetables can be planted now! Amend and feed the soil with the proper mixes. We can help! -All types of summer bulbs can be planted now such as: caladiums, canna lilies and elephant ears. -Now is the right time to plant citrus and avocado. Fertilize them when planting. -As the weather warms, move tropical plants (such as bougainvilla, crotons, hibiscus, etc) back outside gradually to reduce sun damage. -Fertilize the area where you planted spring bulbs using a bulb food. -Fertilize a light application to roses. -Fertilize houseplants and re-pot if necessary. -Protect plants from hungry snails & slugs. We can help! -Feed the hummingbirds! Put out at least one feeder, keep it clean and full to attract the hummingbirds. They begin arriving around March 21!

Start planting now to make sure butterflies have your garden on their radar! Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) Butterfly bushes (Buddleia or Buddleja) are large, fast-growing shrubs whose flowers are irresistible to butterflies. Buddleias are easy-care plants and have a fragrant scent, making them delightful for an outdoor gathering. Phlox Phlox is a low-growing, spreading plant that forms a blanket of blooms all summer. Perennial varieties are great for a year-round groundcover. Coneflower (Echinacea) Coneflower is one of the best flowers for attracting butterflies. It adds a flashy touch of color to the late summer landscape. Plant echinacea among a low growing perennial bed where showy flowers will stand above the rest. Lantana Lantana produces profuse color, showing off clusters of tiny, eye-catching blooms in a variety of hues. Typically grown as an annual, it's an excellent low hedge or accent shrub that you can also train as a standard. It attracts butterflies and tolerates our heat. Zinnia Zinnias are an absolute butterfly magnet. They are rich with nectar, and butterflies will gladly float around a large patch of zinnias for hours each day. Deadhead to promote rebloom, and consider planting a dwarf variety such as ‘Profusion’, so they don’t flop over later in summer. The "Double" varieties are gorgeous, resembling a lion's mane, but butterflies can have trouble reaching the nectar. Passion Flower Passion flower is an exquisite and beautiful bloom, and it is also the host plant of the beautiful Gulf Fritillary. Simply put, putting a purple passion vine in your yard guarantees heavy interest from butterflies, year after year. The caterpillars will eat the foliage before sprouting into butterflies, but passion vine is vigorous enough to regrow from any damage. This vine does like to spread; it would be better alone on a fence or trellis than in a mixed bed with other perennials. Black-Eyed Susan Black-eyed Susan is one of the great wildflowers of North America and was one of the first to become a domesticated garden flower. Its showy golden yellow flower head with black centers are a visual delight. Heliotrope Heliotrope has a sweet, pungent scent that some liken to the smell of cherry pie. It is large flowered yet compact and has attractive, dark green foliage and a bushy habit. Lavender Lavender is a perennial favorite for gardeners and butterflies alike, producing tall, fragrant spikes of purple blooms. Hailing from the Mediterranean, it's drought-resistant and can take the heat. Milkweed The only food source of Monarch caterpillars and a preferred source of nectar for many butterfly species, including the adult Monarch, there are over 100 varieties of milkweeds in North America. Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) A type of milkweed, drought-tolerant butterfly weed isn’t picky about growing conditions. Give it a sunny spot, and you’ll be on your way to a flowery summer. Butterflies, bees and other pollinators can’t resist these bright orange blooms. This perennial pushes through soil in late spring, well after other plants are up and at ‘em. Pincushion Flower Pincushion Flower is an annual that is a member of the aster family. The plants grow easily from seed and with enough water and a little shade, will bloom from midsummer to any frost. We also have them all spring in the transplant form. Agapanthus Agapanthus comes to life in late summer. It features large, elegant, deep blue bell-shaped blooms that are clustered together on tall, sturdy stems. These showy flower heads stand well above the plant's foliage. Aster Aster is an herbaceous perennial that comes in a wide variety of colors. Its daisy-like flowers bloom in late summer and autumn in a sunny site. Salvia Salvia produces fragrant foliage and tall spikes of flowers, usually in shades of purple or white. Its nectar attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Sunflowers Cheerful, colorful sunflowers attract both bees and butterflies to the garden. Goldenrod Goldenrod is a perennial with bright yellow flowers that add color to a late summer garden Penta Butterflies and hummingbirds can’t resist penta's flowers, which perch prettily atop deep green leaves. Plants grow 18 to 24 inches tall and 10 to 15 inches wide. Joe-Pye Weed This statuesque plant adds strong architectural interest to your flower border and attracts butterflies by the dozen. Because perennial foliage usually declines after the plants bloom, choosing a late-season bloomer such as Joe-Pye weed ensures you have lush, beautiful foliage all season long. Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) This stunning American wildflower loves moist, shady woodland areas and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds for miles around.

Spending time in the garden often involves shooing away bees, but have you ever stopped to think about the benefits that these and other garden pollinators provide to our environment? Think back to elementary or middle school. You probably learned that a pollinator helps carry pollen from the male part of the flower to the female part of that or other flowers. Although some plants and flowers do not need insects or animals to aid in pollination, many do. Some common pollinators are bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, birds, flies and small mammals like bats. Why is this important to us? According to the National Park Service, one out of every three bites of food you eat only exists because of these pollinators. These foods include fruits, vegetables, and seeds. Even the air we breathe is affected by pollination. Look around you. Those plants you see help to clean the air, supply oxygen, and feed wildlife. When you think of these things, it really puts the importance of pollinators into perspective. What can you do to help your friendly neighborhood pollinators? Here are some great tips from The National Park Service. Although these things may seem small, they are a BIG help to birds, bees and other helpful creatures. Plant native flowers that bloom at different times. Also, planting flowers of different sizes and colors in clumps as opposed to scattering them in your landscaping is beneficial to pollinators by making it easier for them to locate their lunch. Give your pollinators a drink! A shallow dish of water placed on your deck or patio will help pollinators stay hydrated. Don't forget to partially submerge stones or rocks in the container so they have somewhere to rest while drinking. Otherwise they may drown. Did you know that many plants that are called weeds are actually useful to pollinators? So you can take a break from pulling some of those weeds. Limit pesticides. Before using a pesticide, ask yourself: Are flowers in bloom or are pollinators active during the pesticide application? Are there alternatives? We carry organic solutions to many gardening issues. Remember, pollinators can be harmed if they consume nectar or pollen that has come into contact with pesticides. Alternatively, you can help reduce the risk of exposure by applying pesticides at night when bees and other pollinators are not active. Nesting and sheltering sites are always appreciated! Remember that different types of pollinators require different things. Some bees and pollinating beetles may use downed tree limbs and logs; many butterflies lay eggs and rear their young on host plants; a small patch of bare ground might serve ground-nesting bees. Potential nesting sites include trees (both living and dead), shrubs, brush piles, bare ground, and bee boxes. Click here to read our blog about building a Sacturary for pollinators in your backyard!

Pollinators play an important role. In fact, they are essential in the eco system surviving. The simple truth is that we can’t live without them! Virtually all of the world’s seed plants need to be pollinated. Let’s celebrate pollinators and help them do their job, which benefits us most of all, by cultivating the specimens they need to thrive. Butterflies: Everyone loves to watch butterflies flutter from flower to flower. It brings us a sense of relaxation to watch a butterfly, and to know we have planted what they love brings accomplishment! The most important thing to remember when creating a butterfly garden is to plant both nectar and host plants. Providing host plants for caterpillars to feed on, you will have a front row seat to the metamorphosis process! The caterpillars will consume the host plants then become a chrysalis before the adult butterfly emerges looking for the nectar plants. Then, the females will lay the eggs to hatch into a caterpillar so the cycle can continue. It’s important to plant host plants and not be discouraged with caterpillars eating the plant. It’s usually only temporary! Some host plant ideas are: Passionflower, Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, Asters, Butterfly Weed, Dill, Hollyhock, Sassafras, Fennel, etc. Nectar plants for the butterflies serve their purpose, and are beautiful in your space! There are so many choices, and they all pack a pop of color to enjoy all season! A great idea to cover a problem area while luring butterflies to your yard is to buy seeds and sprinkle them in that area. The seeds will germinate and create a lasting love for you, and the butterflies! If you don’t have room for a garden, hanging baskets will do the trick just as nicely. Some great nectar plant ideas in shrubs are: abelias, butterfly bush, honeysuckle, spiraea, etc. Some great nectar plant ideas in perennials are: yarrow, butterfly weed, aster, daisy, cosmos, coneflower, joe-pye weed, sunflowers, salvias etc. Some great nectar plant ideas in annuals are: lantana, zinnia, penta, marigold, verbena, geranium, portulaca, allysum, impatiens, etc. One last important thing to note when planting your butterfly retreat is not to use any pesticides! You may be killing off the very insects you made the garden for. There are natural remedy options to repel harmful insects, like aphids. Talk to us in the Plant Health Care room to help point you in the right direction! Bees: As stated in the introduction, every garden requires pollinators, and bees are among the finest, and hardest working! Without bees, there would be limited flowers and far fewer fruits and vegetables to enjoy. In fact, about 30% of the food we all eat depends on the pollination of bees. Besides planting flowers they enjoy, consider bringing more bees to your garden by providing a safe place for their shelter and to lay their eggs. Pollinator houses are trendy and compact enough to be part of your patio décor. There are many bees that are great pollinators, such as the carpenter, mining, sweat and cellophane bees. However, some of the most well-known and easily identified bees are the honey and bumble bee. Both of these live in social colonies and are cavity nesters. They require a constant supply of floral nectar close to their hive all summer long. Some of the biggest threats to the healthy and continued existence of the honey and bumble bee are their habitat loss. Some great nectar plant ideas in trees and shrubs are: apple, redbud, willow, blackberry, blueberry, etc. Some great nectar plant ideas in perennials are: aster, bee balm, black-eyed Susans, goldenrod, joe-pye weed, penstemon, coneflower, savlias, stonecrop, sunflower, etc. Some great nectar plant ideas in annuals are: lantana, aster, catmint, alyssum, salvias, zinnias, lavender, marigolds, calendula, etc. As with butterflies, keep the bees in your garden by eliminating chemical use, especially when plants are in flower. Hummingbirds: The ruby-throated hummingbirds zip across our Southern skies twice a year. They begin migrating from Mexico during the late winter and early spring to head up north for the summer. Then, once it’s fall again (usually August), they will make their way back south to Mexico. Fun facts about hummingbirds: They are the smallest bird in the world! They can beat their wings about 75 times per second! Wow! They can drink 8x their body weight, and also consume about 500 insects daily! Time to get their feeders and your yard ready to fuel them! Hanging hummingbird feeders with sugar water attracts birds looking for a snack. Most feeders are red since this is the color proven to attract them. We sell safe nectar ready to hang to welcome these winged creatures! It’s important to note that if you’re DIYing your nectar, do not use red dye. Hanging a feeder from February through October is a good plan of action! You can also charm hummingbirds to your yard with a selection of their favorite nectar-producing flowers. They are actually attracted to plants with color, and not plants with scent. Red is their choice in color, but any other bright colors like pink, purple, orange and yellow will also attract them. Another important factor to their favorite plants is the shape. Tubular-shaped flowers accommodate their long, narrow beaks. Some great nectar plant ideas in shrubs are: azaleas, butterfly bush, abelias, bottle brush, etc. Some great nectar plant ideas in vines are: honeysuckle, tangerine beauty crossvine, etc. Some great nectar plant ideas in perennials are: bugleweed, bee balm, cardinal flower, columbine, coral bells, daylily, delphinium, gaura, hollyhock, hosta, phlox, gayfeather, rose mallow, cuphea , salvias, etc. Some great nectar plant ideas in annuals are: fuchsia, penta, geranium, sage, nasturtium, petunia, pineapple sage, red salvia, zinnia, etc.  An important note, similar to the butterflies and bees, refrain from using insecticides when attracting hummingbirds. They rely on insects for protein, especially during the summer, so they’ll help to clean out your beds of pests! For all pollinators, make sure you offer them an available water source, such as a birdbath!