Fuchsia Flowers And Fruit

Day 359: Would it surprise you to learn that the fruit of hardy fuchsias is edible? Once again, I will remind my readers that the words "edible" and "desirable as food" have two entirely different meanings, but they're not as widely separated in this case as in many other instances. Fuchsia berries (the maroon lobes in the upper right of the image) are mildly sweet and bear a slight perfume to the palate. Oddly, I have never noticed any particular scent to the flowers of any of the ones I cultivate; the berries seem to be borne solely by the smaller-flowered varieties (Genii and Riccarotonii, presumably more closely related to the wild plant). I had planned to experiment with adding them to jelly this year, possibly using apple as the carrier as some people do when making mint or rose jelly, but despite the hummingbirds' best efforts (and they were very active), the plants have produced very little fruit when compared to past years. It was an experiment I was greatly anticipating, but unless the prodigious flowers still on the shrubs are fertilized and ripen quickly, it will have to wait until next autumn.

Red-Flowering Currant

Day 179: To every thing there is a purpose. While I don't consider the fruits of our native Red-Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) a "table" crop, the plants bring a harvest of a different sort, and one which is both enjoyable in an aesthetic sense and beneficial to the garden as a whole. I speak not of berries, but of the hummingbirds who come to visit. I've never seen anything but Rufous here, although Anna's is fairly common at only slightly lower elevations, but Rufous I have in abundance, and you can't go out in the yard without hearing them cursing at each other. It's not a sound you'd expect from such tiny beings, not a dainty peep or a musical tweeted note but a short, sharp bark of sorts or, alternately, a buzz like a wood-rasp being drawn in short strokes: "tzzzup-tzzzup-tzzzup." Even when food sources are abundant, the hummers swear like sailors at their compatriots, unable to speak a sentence which does not include at least one avian f-word, vulgar little things.

Rose-Of-Sharon

Day 309: For a foot-tall plant, the Rose-of-Sharon I planted this last spring is really putting on a show. A member of the Hibiscus family, its big, floppy flowers overwhelm the foliage and draw hummingbirds to sip their sweet nectar. I certainly wasn't expecting a display, and am surprised at the succession of blooms. Although they're relatively short-lived (only open for a day or two), one has been following another for more than a week now with many more to come. I should have done this a long time ago!

Hardy

Day 53: I don't think hardy fuchsias are supposed to be blooming when the snow flies, but three of my five varieties (Genii, above, Dollar Princess and Army Nurse) apparently didn't get the memo and are doing their best to bring holiday colour to the garden. All three plants have been in their present locations for a couple of years, i.e., they're firmly established. Riccartonii is hanging onto its leaves, but has no blossoms currently, and Erecta (the most cold-sensitive member of the family) has gone to sleep for the winter.

Many people find these woody plants sprangly and unattractive when they outgrow their allotted space, but I think they more than adequately make up for their shortcomings by attracting hummingbirds to the yard. Because they flower on old wood as well as new, they can be pruned back if desired, although few people ever bother. Next year, I plan to add several more along the fenceline, either new plants or ones I've divided. Gotta keep those hummers happy!

Singin' The Blues

Day 230: I was singin' the blues because the steady stream of Rufous Hummingbirds at the feeders seemed to have dwindled over the last week, but then I discovered why. They're going to the Columbine, the Honeysuckle and the Delphiniums instead! It's good to see my clientele turning to a more natural diet, and after all, that's what my garden is about: hummers and pollinators. Most of the plants I've added over the last several years have been chosen with them in mind.

While Delphiniums draw bees as well as hummingbirds, they come with a built-in "bee," the term arising from the central structure's resemblance to the insect. More than once, I've bent over next to a Delphinium only to find that a real bee was nestled into the flower's "bee," gathering pollen. Seen side on, the blossom "bee" is even fuzzy!

With birds and bees humming happily in my garden, I'm joyfully singin' the blues: Delphinium blues!

Breakfast On The Fly

Day 265: With another day of very hot temps in the offing, I am making sure to keep my garden watered and the birdbath refreshed. Most of the activity occurs in the early hours of morning now, hummers flitting between the feeders and Crocosmia as if they can't make up their minds which they prefer, Grosbeaks lining up three abreast to drink fresh, cool water. By 1:30 PM when the thermometer stood at a blazing 95°, not a bird or butterfly was to be seen in the still air hanging weightily on the neighbourhood. When a light breeze picked up in late afternoon and shadows fell on the flowerbeds, a handful of visitors returned to try their luck.

Remember, folks, this weather isn't just hard on you. It's hard on everyone. Keep clean water out for the "little people" who give you such joy when they come to your flowers.

An Unexpected Turn

Day 240: New to my hummingbird garden this year is Hardy Fuchsia "Erecta," and already it has delivered a surprising turn-up...literally. I had thought the name referred to erect stems as opposed to trailing, but in fact it comes from the upright orientation of the blossoms! Every one sticks up like a candle ensconced in an ornate cup of petals, the stigma a flaming wick pointed at the sky. It is as if the plant is saying to the hummingbirds, "Come drink with me." Na zdorovie, my little Rufous friends. This bud's for you.

Army Nurse

Day 222: The first of my hardy fuchsias to bloom (admittedly with a head-start from the nursery), "Army Nurse" is putting on a spectacular show. Hummingbirds love these flowers, so I've planted four varieties to date: Army Nurse, Genii, Dollar Princess and Erecta, all but the latter bearing flowers in the red/purple range. Erecta is pink and white. Genii is a small-flowered variety, the one most often seen in gardens. In fact, it was only two years ago that I discovered there were hardy (perennial) fuchsias with blossoms as large as the annual varieties. Most will withstand winter temperatures to 10° or lower without mulching, so why would anyone fuss with annuals when durable perennials are available? I wish I had room for more!

Lucifer's Fire

Day 290: Well-meaning friends have advised me that Crocosmia "Lucifer" will take over the corner of the flower bed it occupies. I say, "Let it!" The hummingbirds love the brilliant red flowers. The corner in question is where the bed on the north side of the house meets the bed on the east side. It was formerly occupied by a bristly, unfriendly Picea glauca whose roots threatened the house foundation. Picea was replaced first with a yellow Camellia which was too tender to survive mountain winters. Although I'd originally wanted to put something evergreen in its place, I also wanted to add to my hummingbird garden. Practicality (attracting hummers) won out over functionality (winter foliage). Gotta do what's best for the birdies!

Honeysuckle

Day 256: It's taken a decade for a commercially-grown Honeysuckle vine to establish at the corner of my garage, a fact I can only attribute to poor soil, although I've seen the wild version root in some pretty unlikely locations. I had visions of a paradise for hummingbirds when I planted it, but in its first few years, it put on only a few blossoms and fell prey to some critter which mined the leaves. I was on the verge of pulling it out, possibly moving it to a new location until it surprised me this year by putting on a spectacular show of bright orange blooms. Nothing says "summer" quite like Honeysuckle after a rain shower!

I've Got Those Old Delphinium Blues

Day 253: Forget what you've heard about Hummingbirds' fondness for the color red. Just plant some Delphiniums in your garden and they'll scorn the feeders in preference for diving head-first into one of these rich blue blossoms.

Shortly after I purchased this property, a friend came up to help me renovate the old grassed-over flower beds. We excavated to a depth of 18", filtering the soil through our fingers and retaining any root which looked like birth a desirable plant. In so doing, we found the Delphiniums which were to become the foundation for my current "hummingbird garden," although I didn't realize it at the time. When the first Hummers arrived to sip nectar, I bought several feeders and filled them, but they went unnoticed until the Delphiniums had faded. The feeders hang nearby to provide the equivalent of a "fast-food snack" for my little clients while they wait in line for a table at Café Delphine.