Today: Lean about attracting hummingbirds to your garden

Published 9:33 am Thursday, September 10, 2015

Selinda Barkhuis will discuss how gardeners can attract hummingbirds to their gardens all year long on Thursday, Sept. 10, at noon in the county commissioners meeting room of the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.

Barkhuis will talk about meeting hummingbirds’ needs for nectar, small insects, nesting areas, cover and water.

She will explain what local native plants are closely intertwined with the life cycle of Rufous hummingbirds, as well as the best perennials for helping Anna’s hummingbirds survive year-round on the Olympic Peninsula.

She also will talk about growing scarlet runner beans, a beautiful pole bean that is a favorite food source for hummingbirds.

She will demonstrate how to winterize a hummingbird feeder so that it stays defrosted through the worst of winter.

Barkhuis has been gardening the backyard, front yard and side yards of her urban lot in central Port Angeles for the past 15 years, focusing on organic vegetables and fruit, as well as flowers for hummingbirds. Her garden was featured in the 2012 Master Gardener’s Petals and Pathway Garden Tour.

Her presentation is part of the Green Thumb Gardening Tips brown bag educational series sponsored by the Clallam County WSU Master Gardeners.The Green Thumb Gardening Tips series is presented on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St. in Part Angeles.

It is free and open to the public, however donations are accepted to help cover copying costs for handouts. Attendees are invited to bring a lunch. For questions, call 417-2279.