5 Reasons to Add Hummingbird Groundcover to your Yard

Who doesn’t want to find late-season bloomers for their garden? Let’s face it, most of our favorite blooms fade out by August. I discovered Creeping Hummingbird Trumpet Zauscherhneria garrettii (Fire Chalice)® or (Orange Carpet)® or Z. latifolia (Woody's Peach Surprise)® as a way to add color, then discovered it has many other benefits.

1. As a late season evergreen perennial, Creeping Hummingbird Trumpet Fire Chalice, blooms year after year. It is adaptive to low water conditions. This superb plant spreads to form a loose mat of low growing, bright green foliage. Starting late July, it lights up the garden with a profusion of bright red or orange flowers. With a drooping habit, it looks great in containers, rock walls, and hanging over raised beds. Regular watering when in bloom keeps the flowers popping for 4 to 8 weeks.

2. The plant's continuous bloom is key to bringing back birds year after year. The crimson color inch-long blooms attract hummingbirds and provide much-needed nectar forage.

3. Creeping Hummingbird Trumpet Zauschneria garrettii

Orange Carpet ®  is a native plant. It originated from the mountains of southern Idaho and thrives in our climate. 

4. You can use it in a lot of ways - not only as ground cover, but also in containers, rock garden, and mass-plantings. You can plant it anytime during the spring or summer.

5. My personal favorite: deadheading is not required! (!!)
Other late season bloomers that attract hummingbirds: Hummingbird Mint (Agastache), Scarlet Hedge Nettle, Beard Tongue Penstemon, Salvia, Columbine, Coral Bells, Red Birds in a Tree, Texas Red Yucca, Bee Balm.

Where to buy Creeping Hummingbird Trumpet: Look for a seedling at nurseries that sell native plants.
I have found it at:

• Adams Gardens & Nursery-Nampa,
• Edwards Greenhouse,
• Draggin' Wing High Desert Nursery-Boise.
• It is available online at High Country Gardens.

Gardening to attract hummingbirds requires nectar-rich flowers as well as water and shelter because not all birds will visit feeders. Adding Creeping Hummingbird Trumpet to your bird buffet can help insure the future for the birds, replacing food lost due to human activities like agriculture and urbanization.

The Joys of growing Crocosmia Bulbs

'Lucifer' crocosmia

Crocosmia produce masses of sword-like foliage and brightly colored blooms. Originally from south Africa, their name comes from the Greek words for “saffron” and “smell”.  'Lucifer' is the most popular scarlet red but also they come in many varieties of yellow and orange. Why grow crocosmias? Few diseases or pests (including slugs!) seem to trouble crocosmias. Humans and hummingbirds alike appreciate the red, orange and yellow crocosmia flowers. During crocosmia’s typical mid-summer to fall bloom period, other flowers have finished blooming or are looking tired. Crocosmia flowers last well in the garden and in the vase...and also do well in containers.

Crocosmia 'George Davidson'

Plant these bulbs (more exactly "corms") in spring after all danger of frost is gone. Plant the corms 2-3 inches deep and space them 6-8 inches apart in threes. They do multiply so having more is always good. Place the corm face up in soil with compost. With our blazing hot afternoon sun in the Treasure Valley, put them in an area with morning sun afternoon shade - they seem to do much better.  They are drought tolerant and only need occasional moisture when very dry. Remove the spent blooms to encourage more blossoms. After blossoming for the season let the foliage die down naturally.

Crocosmia Prince of Orange

All crocosmias are winter hardy in zones 6-9. Some species, including Lucifer, are hardy in zone 5  If you are concerned about hardiness, dig them up, put them in a box with some sawdust and bring them in to a garage or somewhere it doesn’t freeze but keep them cool.

When planting in containers, make sure your container has drainage holes and good potting soil (not soil from your garden). Plant the corms as above, water and sit back. An easy-care flower, crocosmias are a wonderful addition to a Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden.  Plant some and ENJOY!