One of my favorite memories of my grandma’s house in Ohio was the hummingbird feeder she kept hanging from the big tree in her front yard. My mother carried on the tradition and regularly attracts hummingbirds to her feeders each season, so when we started our garden in the spring I decided that I too would become a hummingbird aficionado.

Fail. I was so disappointed in my lack of ornithological skills that I said screw it, and just let the feeder hang there all summer while the syrupy nectar melted down to nothing.

But then…Monday morning while standing outside admiring our tomato and herb plants, a hummingbird started hovering right in front of me just a few feet away! I cleaned the feeder, made some food and put it back out in hopes of securing the little lady to stay. We now have at least two (they’re so fast it’s hard to keep track) female ruby-throated hummingbirds living in our backyard (males actually have a ruby throat and are very protective of their feeders). Feels nice to continue the tradition.

Learn more about attracting hummingbirds here