Sunday, August 3, 2014

Thanks for Stopping By

Hummingbird and Agastache "Bolero"
My garden gets great visitors of the nonhuman kind.  Butterflies, bees, ladybugs, praying mantis, and on rare and special occasions, a hummingbird.  I think this one lives nearby.  Actually, his (or her) visits might not be so rare, it's just that they likely occur mostly when we're not home.

 Anyone who's ever tried to take pictures of hummingbirds knows they can be elusive.  This one is no exception.  Plus, you've got to be fast with a camera at the ready.  With wings that flap an average of 50 times per second (and up to 200 times) and flight speed that can top 34 mph (forward, backward, and upside down, by the way), the hummingbird is not going to hang around for some slowpoke photographer.  
Summer visitor
I tried to plant a few things that hummingbirds like but it seems that this one is especially attracted to Agastache "Bolero."  I've planted Agastache before, but not this particular one so we'll see how it does over the winter.  It grows to about 16" high, likes full sun, blooms July-October and is supposed to be hardy to zone 6.  Because I have it in a pot, that might not be good enough--usually I'm safe with zone 5. But we'll see.

 Meanwhile, this hummer is enjoying what Bolero has to offer right now.
Bookshelf:  Container Gardening Books
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