Saturday, December 12, 2009

Hummingbirds In A Box



It was a starry night last night and with no clouds the temperature plunged.   I awoke to the sight of a Cheshire Cat moon just outside the bedroom window.  Today the sky is blue and cloudless.   It's cold out there.  No drips are to be seen even on the South side of the house.  It's a really nice day to work on some little gifts from the garden.  We grow Scarlet Runner Beans for the hummingbirds.  The beans are shiny, pink and black, pretty enough to sit in a crystal bowl in the living room.   Planted in the garden they make terrific vines that will climb a trellis or wall and then bloom with beautiful red blossoms that the hummingbirds love. Few hummingbird plants have as long a bloom period.

Today I'm using old calendar pictures to make Origami hummingbird boxes.   Each box will contain about a dozen pink and black beans tied in a square of nylon net.  Planted after any chance of frost in a sunny location with something to climb on, these beans will grow and produce red blossoms that make hummingbirds appear. So indeed we have hummingbirds in a box.  Just add soil, water, and sunshine and wait.  If you plant them, they will come!

3 comments:

Christine B. said...

What a creative and sensible idea! (Now if I could just convince a few more hummingbirds to visit me here in Alaska, only seen two in the last ten years)....

Christine

Joyce said...

Fascinating. I am learning so much from following your blog. There was a heat wave in Ohio today ~ up to 30:)

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Becky girl ! That is a wonderful idea for gifts and you are right, it is like having hummingbirds in a box : )
Joy