Every spring, birdwatchers across the country welcome the return of hummingbirds as they migrate north. These tiny, beautiful birds are a delight to watch as they hover and dart throughout the garden, and the males put on quite a show as they protect their territory and attract mates. And while hummingbird feeders do provide nourishment to the energetic birds, let’s face it – an active feeder is a source of pure pleasure for gardeners and bird-lovers alike.

Hummingbird Facts

Of the over 300 species of hummingbirds, about 16 species breed in the United States. The ruby-throated hummingbird is by far the most common east of the Mississippi, but be on the lookout for other types as well. Hummingbirds undertake a grueling migration every year, wintering in the Southern U.S., Mexico, and Central and South America, then returning in the spring to breed throughout North America.

Photo by Cheryl Empey

Hummingbird migration is a product of instinct and nature. Most researchers agree that feeding hummingbirds will not alter these migration patterns, and many gardeners like to extend the feeding season to support migrating birds.

Hummingbirds eat from 5 to 14 meals an hour. Their diet consists of flower nectar (which is largely sucrose, or sugar water) and protein, in the form of spiders, soft-bodied insects, and larvae. They can consume up to 50% of their body weight in nectar each day.

The typical hummingbird nest is about the size of half a walnut shell. The nest is constructed largely of spider silk and plant down, and the outside is covered with lichens, moss, or other camouflaging plant material.

Photo by Sharon Werblowsky

Look for hummingbird nests in trees and shrubs that provide shelter from weather and predators such as azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, wax myrtle, hollies, oaks (especially live oaks), pines, red maple, and sycamore. They may be near the tips of branches, with overhead leaf protection but space for cooling summer breezes. Although less common, look for nests on porches and other sheltered spots as well.

Choosing a Hummingbird Feeder

There are many different types of hummingbird feeders on the market, and some are quite beautiful. Most come in bright colors to mimic large, nectar-rich flowers. The key to feeding hummingbirds is safety – nectar spoils easily, and bacteria can be dangerous for the birds. Choose a feeder that is easy to refill and clean, or two identical ones with dishwasher-safe parts, so that you can rotate them.

Photo by Julie Day

Making Nectar

The best type of nectar is a simple sucrose (table sugar) solution. More expensive nectar mixes are unnecessary, as the birds obtain the added nutrients from eating insects, and the red color is not needed due to brightly-colored feeders.

To most closely mimic flower nectar, use a 1:4 ratio – one part white cane sugar to four parts water. Some gardeners use a rich 1:1 solution in the early spring, to fuel migrating and nesting birds and to encourage the bird to stay at that feeder. After 2-3 weeks, switch to the 1:4 solution to encourage more feeding activity. Never use honey or brown sugar, since they spoil very quickly and can harbor dangerous bacteria.

To discourage spoilage and mold growth, boil the sugar solution for several minutes, and allow it to cool to room temperature before using. Store any excess in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Immediately discard any solution that looks cloudy or has black mold.

Using Your Feeder

Photo by Gregory Runyan

Feeders MUST be clean and sanitized to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Clean your feeder using mild dish soap, or boiling water, or a mild bleach solution. Whatever the cleaning method, rinse the feeder extremely well. The nectar solution will only last 3-5 days outdoors, and less in hot summer weather. Once you get an idea of how much the birds are eating, only fill your feeder with enough nectar to last 2-3 days, and empty it sooner if it looks cloudy.

Hang the feeder near flowering plants or next to trees where the birds may build their nests. Once a bird has found your feeder, it will return for frequent visits and become quite bold, so get your camera ready!

Planting a Hummingbird Garden

Trumpet Vine, Photo by Holly Harris

When planning a hummingbird garden, consider including the following elements:

• Water for bathing and drinking, such as a birdbath or fountain.
• Space between flowering plants to give the birds room to hover.
• An organic garden free of pesticides which can be toxic to hummingbirds.
• Leafy shrubs for cover and nesting.
• Flowering plants for feeding.
• Lots of bright colors, particularly red.
• Mosses for nesting materials.

Hibiscus, Photo by Julie Day

Some flowering plants to consider include:

• Bee balm – Monarda didyma
• Canna - Canna sp.
• Cardinal flower - Lobelia cardinalis
• Columbine - Aquilegia sp.
• Coral bells - Heuchera sanguinea
• Delphinium - Delphinium elatum
• Flame acanthus - Acanthus mollis
• Four o’clock - Mirabilis jalapa
• Foxglove - Digitalis purpurea
• Fuschia - Fuschia hybrida
• Hibiscus – Hibiscus sp.
• Hollyhock - Althea rosea
• Honeysuckle - Lonicera sp.
• Lantana - Lantana sp.
• Lupine - Lupinus hybrids
• Penstemon - Penstemon sp.
• Petunia - Petunia hybrida
• Trumpet creeper - Campsis radicans
• Trumpet vine - Bignonia tagliabuana

Flowering Quince, Photo by Julie Day

Also consider planting shrubs and trees such as:

• Azalea - Rhododendron sp.
• Bottlebrush - Callistemon lanceolatus
• Butterfly bush - Buddleia davidii
• Eucalyptus - Eucalyptus sp.
• Flowering quince - Chaenomeles sp.
• Mimosa - Albizia julibrissin
• Weigela - Weigela rosea

Further Information

For more info on hummingbirds, check out websites like hummingbirds.net and worldofhummingbirds.com for migration maps and information about specific species. Many websites welcome photographs and submissions of hummingbird sightings for migration mapping and research.

Happy hummingbird-watching!

Building steps used to require complicated measurements and difficult angled cuts, but the precut pressure treated stringers available at home centers today have made the job much easier.

Allow for a stringer at each end of the steps and at 16” intervals in between. Use corrosion resistant screws and nails to assemble the steps.

Start by measuring the width of the opening, then cut a treated 2”x4” to length to attach to the side of the house as an anchor for the stringers. Remember to take 3” off the length of the anchor board to allow for the thickness of the end stringers.

Position the anchor board on the house, taking into account the thickness of the top tread. Screw the board in place, making sure it’s level with the house. When attaching to brick, drill pilot holes with masonry bit for anchors or masonry screws.

Place the outside stringers against the house flush with the top of the anchor board, checking to be sure they’re level and square, and nail them to the ends of the anchor board.

Cut 1½” off the end of each of the inside stringers to allow for the thickness of the anchor board.

Toenail the inside stringers to the anchor board flush with the top.

Attach a treated 1”x 8” riser to the bottom of the steps to tie the stringers together.

Cut the 5/4” x 6” pressure treated treads to length, allowing for the overhang on each end, and nail them in place. Using two treads on each step minimizes the cracking and cupping that might occur with a single wide board.

Rip 1”x8” risers to width and cut to length flush with the outside of the stringers. Nail the risers to the stringers to complete the steps.

Power tools used on Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford® are provided by Ryobi.

I tend to be the type of homeowner who’s willing to try just about anything. Fortunately, it didn’t take me long to learn the location of the main power switch in my home and the water cut-off valve at the street. If my home improvement activities get too dire, I turn off one or the other and wait patiently for back-up to arrive.

I live in a 50-year-old house that I’ve owned for four years, with a yard that’s never seen much TLC. So I decided to aerate my lawn this spring as a prelude to its gradual rehabilitation. I rented an aerator from a local rental store for the bargain price of $60 for the weekend. When my male colleagues laughed at this prospect, I made sure to ask the man at the rental place if a 130-pound woman could handle the machine. While he insisted it would be no problem, I suspect he chuckled when I drove away with it.

I should have suspected trouble when it took two men to load the bright blue machine in the back of my Honda Element. In fact, the BlueBird aerator weighs in at nearly 300 pounds – and that’s without the two 36 lb. removable weights that it comes with for extra traction. Fortunately, a friend who found out about my weekend project cut two pieces of lumber to make a ramp to help get the machine in and out of my car.

Photo Courtesy of BlueBird

What is Lawn Aeration

To the initiated, an aerator resembles a lawn mower only a little wider, squatter, and heavier. The undercarriage looks like a medieval torture device, with a spinning cylinder of rotating coring spikes, much like a round hair brush on steroids. The idea behind aerating your yard is to break up the compacted soil which in turn:

• Enhances the transfer of water, oxygen, and nutrients into the soil.
• Promotes microorganisms that help breakdown thatch.
• Reduces the runoff of fertilizer and pesticides.
• Encourages root system growth.

It would have been helpful if the rental center could have located the operator’s manual. Instead, I was given a short verbal course, with particular emphasis on how to stop the machine.

Once in my yard, the BlueBird behaved more like a Brahma bull than its feathery namesake. Pushing it wasn’t a problem, since it happily propelled itself around the yard with little assistance while I trotted along behind trying my best to keep up. But when you actually had to turn the Bird is when things got tricky. Hairpin turns are not its specialty and the wide turning radius made for some unexpected detours and startled animals. And you better hope you don’t get it mired in a soft spot, because the next thing you know, the Bird is on its way to China.

Because the machine is so powerful, it only took about 15 minutes to aerate the entire yard. But my aerating activity made so much racket that my neighbor came out to see what was going on. That was his misfortune because he then got roped into helping me load the BlueBird back into my car.

That said, I’m sure a professional lawn service could have done a better job, but I wasn’t about to pay a couple of hundred dollars for what I could do for less than half that amount plus a bottle of Advil. And I did inform the man at the rental place that an aerator was better suited for someone more substantial, which I suspect he knew anyway.

But the good news is, a few weeks have passed, and I can already see the difference in my yard. At last my grass can breathe and is on its way down the road to recovery.

Hi Steve,

Start by insulating the space between the basement ceiling joists with a sound dampening insulation like Owens Corning QuietZone fiberglass insulation. Next, you might want to consider using a soundproofing drywall such as QuietRock for the ceiling. You can watch and read more about QuietRock, on our website at (622) Builders’ Show Special.

Good luck with your project,

Wet Saw

Rental: $55-$60 per day

Wet saws use a special water-cooled blade to cut through tile and brick like butter. Blades may vary depending on the material, so check to be sure you have the right one.

Vinyl Floor Scraper

Rental: $50-$60/day

The vibrating blade on this walk behind machine takes the elbow grease out of removing glued down vinyl flooring.

Jamb Saw

Rental: $30-$40/day

A jamb saw is handy to cut around the bottom of door frames when installing new flooring. Set the height of the saw blade to the thickness of the flooring, run the saw around the jambs, and slip the new flooring underneath.

Floor Sander

Rental: $40-$50/day

This heavy weight drum sander makes quick work of smoothing wood floors. It takes a steady hand and even gait to get a smooth surface without leaving unsightly sanding marks.

Edge Sander

Rental: $30-$40/day

An edge sander is used to smooth the last few inches along walls that a floor sander can’t reach. Like it larger cousin, the edger can remove material fast and requires a deft touch to keep from marring the floor.

Pneumatic Nailer

Rental: $30-$35/day

A nail gun can get the job done in a fraction of the time you would spend with a hammer. There are several types available for different sized nails, so it’s important to decide how it will be used. Framing guns can handle nails from around 2” to 3½” while finish nailers take small fasteners and are great for attaching moldings.

Airless Paint Sprayer

Rental: $50-$75/day

Paint sprayers use compressed air or an airless pump to atomize paint and force it through a nozzle. Be sure to provide adequate ventilation and wear a proper respirator when working inside, and turn off pilot lights and other ignition sources when spraying flammable materials. Cover anything you don’t want painted, and watch out for overspray to keep your neighbor’s car from matching your house.

Texture Hopper Sprayer

Rental: $20-$25/day

This specialty spray gun is the tool of choice for applying textured finishes to ceilings and walls. For minor repairs to existing textured ceilings, a spray can of Homax Acoustic Texture will do the trick.

Trencher

Rental: $80-$90/day

While you could break out the pick and shovel to dig a trench to bury a pipe in the yard, a trencher will get the job done in a fraction of the time with less damage to your yard. Several sizes are available depending on the width and depth of the trench.

Plate Compactor

Rental: $60-$70/day

If your project involves pouring a slab for a driveway or patio, you’ll need a plate compactor to compress the soil. This prevents the ground from settling and reduces the chance of cracking.

Lawn Aerator

Rental: $60-$65/day

If your lawn is not looking its best, you might want to consider aerating it. An aerator uses long steel spikes to make holes in the sod, allowing water and nutrients to penetrate deep into the ground.

Garden Tiller

Rental: $70-$75/day

If you have a large garden, you need a tiller to loosen the dirt and prepare it for planting. Several models are available depending on the size of the job at hand.

Posthole Auger

Rental: $65-$75/day

A motorized auger can dig a hole eight times faster than by hand. They come in both one and two person models with bits available in diameters ranging from 6” and up.

Snowblower

Purchase: $300-$2,000

If you have a lot of snow, you’ll probably want to buy a snowblower to keep your driveway and sidewalk clear. Various sizes and models are available. For those in milder climates, a snow shovel may be all you need. Choose a shovel that’s lightweight, has a nonstick coating, and is ergonomically designed to reduce back strain.

Innovative Ideas for the Workshop

Scotch-Blue removable painter’s tape protects surfaces while painting. It’s also available in precut pieces that are perfect for the corners of window panes.

This new screwdriver bit from Pratt-Read Tools fits tightly in combination Phillips/slotted head screws to prevent slipping.

The Spot-On screwdriver has an illuminating tip that puts the light right where you need it.

The new line of Lithium Ion tools from Ryobi provide more and longer lasting power than regular battery powered tools.

The Starrett ProSite Protractor is great for measuring and laying out angles on projects around the house.

The Bosch Miterfinder combines a protractor, level, and calculator with an easy to read digital display.

Ridgid SeeSnake has a small camera mounted on the end of a flexible cable to allow you to see and pick up objects as far away as 30 feet.

Cougar Paws work boots with special replaceable traction grip soles are designed to keep you from slipping even when working on a steeply pitched roof.

For more on tools, check out these articles:

• Understanding Power Tools
• The Perfect Workshop
• Top Ten Gift Tool Ideas
• Tool Maintenance
• Lawn Mower Maintenance

Other Tips From This Episode

Power tools used on Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford® are provided by Ryobi.

Deck Foundation

Since a wood deck can carry a lot of weight, it’s important to start with a solid foundation. Begin by laying out the location of the deck, making sure it’s square with the house.

After the holes have been dug for the concrete footings, rebar is cut and wired together into a grid and supported by wire a few inches above the bottom of the hole. Another piece of rebar is driven into each hole to mark the top of the concrete.

Steel straps are embedded in the concrete when the footings are poured to attach to the framing for added stability. Once the footings have dried, concrete blocks are laid to form the piers supporting the deck.

Deck Framing

Pressure treated 2” x 6” blocks are cut to cap the top of each pier, followed by 6” x 6” sills. Treated 2” x 10” floor joints are placed on top of the sills and toenailed to them.

Laying Decking

After the framework is in place, 5/4” x 6” pressure treated decking is nailed to it. Since pressure treated wood is usually delivered still saturated with preservative, the boards are installed without a gap between them. As the wood dries, it shrinks, leaving a ¼” gap between the boards. If the lumber that is used has been dried before installation, leave a gap between the boards to allow for expansion.

To keep the boards from splitting when nailed near the end, turn the nail over and blunt the point with a hammer before driving it.

Lattice

The concrete block columns are faced with brick to match the house, and the exposed edges of the floor joists covered with fiber cement planking. Checkerboard style lattice, backed by landscaping fabric, is installed around the perimeter of the deck to hide the area underneath while still allowing air to circulate.

A roof constructed over part of the deck will provide much needed shade during the hot summer months. The columns supporting the roof are faced with fiber cement boards while the ceiling was covered in vinyl soffit.

Wide steps are built from the yard up to the deck and railings installed around the perimeter. To speed up the railing process, spindles are laid out and nailed to the top and bottom rails before the sections are installed.

When constructing handrails, be sure to follow local building codes as to the height of the railing and the distance between the spindles.

Dressing up a Patio

To liven up a bland concrete patio, start by thoroughly cleaning the surface with a pressure washer, then give it character by cutting a series of shallow lines into it. After laying out the pattern for the lines, cut them into the concrete using a circular saw equipped with a masonry blade and using a board a guide.

Since this generates a lot of dust, wear a respirator while cutting.

A concrete stain or paint can then be applied to seal the surface and add a touch of color. While paints work better for covering blemishes, stains are a more durable alternative.

If you want to create an attractive patio from scratch without the time and trouble of pouring concrete, consider laying patio pavers instead.

Installing a Retractable Awnings

A retractable awning is a great way to provide your deck or patio with sun when want it and shade when you don’t. SunSetter motorized awnings extend out 10’ without the need for vertical supports and can be installed in just a few hours.

Start by popping a level caulk line where the awning will be attached to the house, and mark off the locations for the support brackets. Align the brackets with the chalk line and screw them on, using a torpedo level to make sure they’re plumb.

When everything is ready, the awning is lifted into place and bolted to the brackets. Once the awning has been plugged into an electrical outlet, it can be operated at the push of a button from a remote control.

The seamless fabric on SunSetter awnings is coated on both sides to make it waterproof and block out 99% of the sun’s harmful UV rays.

Other Tips From This Episode

The birds are singing and the grass is growing, so what better way to celebrate the arrival of spring and mark the launch of our new “Around the Yard” lawn and garden section at dannylipford.com than by giving away a Cub Cadet Zero-Turn Lawn Tractor valued at $2,699!

The Cub Cadet iSeries ZTT42 riding mower features an 18 horsepower Kohler OHV engine, 360 degree Zero-Turn maneuverability, a 42” cutting width, and synchronized steering.

To enter, simply fill out the Cub Cadet Riding Mower Giveaway entry form. Entries will be accepted from May 1st through June 15th 2008, with the winner selected on June 16th.

You could be the envy of the neighborhood this summer as you cruise around your lawn in style, so enter today!