Maine Garden Ideas
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        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
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        • Grow Your Own Amazing Pomato Plant - Tomatoes on the Top and Potatoes on the Bottom
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Perennial Flowers for Hummingbird Gardens

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Maine gardens come alive with hummingbirds all summer long when you plant a perennial bed designed with hummingbirds in mind. These flowers return each year with minimal care from you, blooming just in time to provide quick energy for hungry hummingbirds.

Hollyhocks

Although technically not a perennial, hollyhocks are the mainstay of many cottage gardens in Maine. These flowers bloom on the second year's growth, but because they self-seed readily there are always flowers in bloom. Flowers open from the bottom of the spire and work their way upward. Petals resemble crepe paper, but are surprisingly hardy. Plant these towering plants at the back of the flowerbed or along fences to create a dazzling display of color. Hollyhocks prefer full sun and evenly moist soil, but will tolerate dry soil.
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Columbine

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These wildflowers can be found throughout Maine growing in partially shaded areas, but they can also be purchased as cultivated varieties. Blooms range from white and shades of pink and rose to rich purple, attracting hummingbirds to your garden. Columbines bloom in late spring to early summer providing nectar for hummingbirds before other perennials have bloomed. They prefer evenly moist soil and partial shade. Plant columbine in wildflower gardens, along the border of the lawn or under shrubs and bushes.

Garden Phlox

Garden phlox bloom in midsummer providing hummingbirds with sweet nectar. Old fashioned garden phlox come in magenta and white, but newer varieties range in color from subtle shades of pink, lavender and red with many bi-colors. Phlox produce a heady, sweet fragrance that scents the night air. Plant phlox in full sun and keep the soil evenly moist, especially during blooming time.
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Bleeding Hearts

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Bleeding hearts thrive in Maine gardens and produce larger plants each year. While some varieties thrive in full sun, others prefer shade or partial shade. The graceful arching branches produce heart-shaped flowers that range in color from white and soft pink to deep red. While some bleeding heart varieties bloom for a short period in late spring or early summer, other.varieties produce an abundance of blooms all summer. Bleeding hearts prefer evenly moist soil.

Foxglove

Foxglove isn't a true perennial, but it self seeds prolifically producing new plants in the same location each year. These plants range in height from 24 inches to 5 feet or more. The flowers range in color from white, pink and yellow to rich purple and even include peach and salmon. The individual flowers open along the main stalk, creating a spire of blooms.  Plant foxglove at the back of gardens – but use caution with young children and pets, as these plants are toxic if ingested. Foxglove prefers full or partial sun and evenly moist soil.
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Annual Flowers for Hummingbirds
How to Make Hummingbird Feeders from Recyled Bottles
Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • Grow Your Own Amazing Pomato Plant - Tomatoes on the Top and Potatoes on the Bottom
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
      • Control Blister Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables