I am planning my next project: A hummingbird hospitality center
I have tried the little hanging nectar tubes, but they were not interested, and being in Florida, I had to contend with ants and mold, so I gave that project up. My folks in Illinois are quite successful with their hanging feeder; I think they have my Dad trained to feed them when they perch on the window and look in. I prefer to do mine the natural way. The cardinals are already demanding enough.

Here are some of the native Florida plants that I am considering:
- Firebush, Hamelia patens – We have one plant in the yard, but I want to put more in a concentrated area.
- Coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens – These are vines, so I can't pot them.
- Coralbean, Erythrina herbacea – We have a couple of these scattered over the property, but I would like to put them in a concentrated area.
- Tropical Sage, Salvia coccinea – I have blue Salvia that is great for butterflies, but if you haven’t noticed, hummingbirds seem to love red!
- Cardinalflower, Lobelia cardinalis - These plants spike up to 6 feet, but they don't vine, so they would be great in a pot.
Other plants that we already have include bottlebrush, cigar flower, red buckeye and more. They are not in one place, so it makes it hard to see if there are any hummingbirds on them since they are nested in with other plants and away from the house.
The project for the summer is to build a hummingbird section in the yard, so I will be ready for them as they migrate back this way at the end of the year.
Interested in building your own hummingbird hospitality center? Here are some books that might get you started.