Help the Hummers! (It's a Giveaway!)

Hummingbird at Our Little Acre

As elusive as spring seems to be this year, it's on the way, and so are the hummingbirds! They began their journey north several weeks ago and according to Journey North, the first scouts have arrived as far north as the Ohio River. Now you likely won't see any at your feeders for a few weeks yet, but it's time to start thinking about when you'll put your feeders out. (I'll be putting mine out in mid-April.)

It's also time to think about what you'll plant in your gardens to attract the hummingbirds. They love red, which is why you see most feeders in that color. But they also know that yellow, pink, purple, and orange flowers have good nectar, too.

Those great people at Botanical Interests have made it easy for you to plant seeds that will grow flowers that attract the hummers. AND, because they are SO great, they're giving one of my lucky readers their Hummingbird Nectar Seed Collection! (A $16.00 value.)

Hummingbird Nectar Seed Collection

Included in the Hummingbird Nectar Seed Collection are:

Spotted Bee Balm from my 2007 garden

• Agastache Sunset Hyssop
• Bee Balm Dotted Mint
• Cardinal Climber Vine
• Columbine McKana's Giant Blend
• Cypress Vine Funny Valentine Blend
• Ipomopsis Standing Cypress
• Penstemon Firecracker
• Bean Pole Runner Scarlet Emperor

Shayna Lashway

I spoke with Shayna Lashway, Marketing Manager for Botanical Interests, about how seeds are chosen for a collection, since there are so many that would work.

Regarding the hummingbird collection: "This collection consists of varieties that are known to attract hummingbirds. We also use our own experiences to help guide our selections. The process is a group effort, with feedback from our staff experts."

I also asked Shayna which they sell more of - vegetable seeds or flower seeds. She said that though flowers sell well, they sell more vegetable seeds and those continue to gain in popularity. Her personal favorite of all the collections they offer is the Gourmet Greens Collection: "I just love greens! This collection has some really great varieties, and a nice assortment of flavors and textures."

Botanical Interests is a kind of One Stop Shop when it comes to seeds. In addition to detailed information about their seeds (also on their seed packets), they've got several blogs connected to their main site. Be sure to check out Seed to Saucepan, Creative Inspirations, and In the Garden Virtual Gardening Coach.

It's important to note that all of Botanical Interests' seeds are untreated and they don't sell any GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms).

Cypress Vine, 2010

If the winner of the giveaway would prefer a different collection, Shayna said he or she could choose the one they want. So, just visit the Botanical Interests website and look over the collections they offer. Leave a comment to this blog post by midnight, Sunday, April 3, 2011, telling which collection you'd like to have if you win. Be sure to subscribe to comments so you'll get the notification of who's the winner.

Thanks to Shayna and Botanical Interests for this wonderful jump start to the gardening season!