Wildflower Week 2026
Where the Garden
Comes Alive
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird visits Wayne, PA from late April through early October. A single well-planted native garden can host them from arrival to departure — and the right plant choices make your yard a critical refueling stop on their 1,500-mile migration.
Bob's Approach
The Sedge Transition
Changes Everything
"Most people think a hummingbird garden is just a feeder and a few red flowers. It's not. It's a layered system — native sedge at the ground, native shrubs in the middle, and keystone flowering plants at eye level. When you get all three right, the hummingbird doesn't just visit. It stays."
— Bob Barrett, Wild Bird DesignScapesBob's signature technique begins with replacing turf grass under trees and along borders with Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pennsylvanica) — a native groundcover that creates a soft, living carpet while supporting the insect community that hummingbirds depend on for protein.
Above the sedge layer, a sequence of native flowering plants creates a bloom succession from April through October — ensuring that every time a Ruby-throated Hummingbird passes through Wayne, PA on its migration route, your garden is open for business.
The result is not a "hummingbird garden" in the traditional sense. It's a habitat corridor — a functioning piece of the ecological web that connects your backyard to the larger landscape of Eastern Pennsylvania.
Native Plant Palette
Six Plants That Will
Bring Them In
All native to Eastern Pennsylvania. All proven in Bob's own Wayne, PA garden. Plant at least three of these and you will see Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
The #1 hummingbird plant in the eastern US. Brilliant red tubular blooms July–September. Thrives in moist areas near water features.
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Native vine with red-orange tubular flowers. Blooms spring through fall. Perfect on a trellis or fence near a window for easy viewing.
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Early spring bloomer — critical fuel for northbound migrants in April and May. Red and yellow nodding flowers on delicate stems.
Native Bee Balm
Monarda didyma
Shaggy red blooms July–August. Hummingbirds and bumblebees compete for the nectar. Spreads to form a dense colony over time.
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
The well-behaved native vine for hummingbirds. Slender red-orange tubular flowers bloom spring through fall on a trellis or fence. Unlike Trumpet Vine, it stays manageable and will not take over your yard.
Native Sedge (Transition)
Carex pennsylvanica
Bob's signature transition plant. Pennsylvania sedge replaces turf grass under trees, creating a soft, layered groundcover that supports the entire food web beneath a hummingbird garden.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Summer & Fall 2025
Hand-filmed in Bob's Wayne, PA garden. Six clips from first arrival through final migration departure.
Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird — Brilliant Fuchsia Gorget, Birdbath Visit
Jul 28, 2022
Hummingbird Garden in Full Bloom — Salvia, Agastache & Lobelia
Summer 2024
Ruby-throated Hummingbird — Garden Visit
Summer 2025
Hummingbird — Nectar Feeding on Bee Balm
Sep 1, 2025
Hummingbird — Final Visit Before Migration
Sep 28, 2025
Ruby-throated Hummingbird — Approaching Tube Feeder Under Porch Overhang
Summer 2012
Ruby-throated Hummingbird — Feeding on Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
Summer
From the Garden
Native Habitat Gallery
BEFORE — Hillside Road, Wayne PA · April 1, 2007. Bare, patchy turf. Zero ecological value. This is where the transformation began.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird in flight — Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit), Hamilton NJ, 2012
Native honeysuckle on trellis — a hummingbird magnet
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Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) — native nectar source
Red and orange native blooms — high-value nectar corridor
Dense native coneflower planting — Wayne, PA backyard
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Native aster in bloom — late-season nectar for migrants
Native hibiscus — large tubular blooms attract hummingbirds
Red-tailed Hawk perched in conifer — Hillside Road, Wayne PA, October 2011. Apex predator drawn to the property as the habitat matured.
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) in late bloom — October 2011. Native seedheads persist through winter, feeding goldfinches.
Pink Coneflower through Little Bluestem grass — October 2011. The five-seasons garden: structure and color persist long after summer ends.
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) after an ice storm — February 2011. Red berries encased in ice: a lifeline for Cedar Waxwings, Robins, and Bluebirds in the depths of winter. The Accoya wood nest boxes stand ready in the background.
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) macro — February 2011. Each berry cluster encased in ice. This is why native shrubs with persistent fruit are non-negotiable in a four-season bird garden.
Wayne, PA · Migration Calendar
When to Expect Your Hummingbirds
Late April
First Arrivals
Males arrive first, scouting territory. Put feeders out by April 20.
May–June
Nesting Season
Females build walnut-sized nests from plant down and spider silk.
July–Aug
Peak Activity
Young birds fledge. Multiple generations visiting your garden daily.
Sep–Oct
Migration South
Last birds depart by mid-October. Bob's final 2025 clip: Sep 28.
Live eBird Data · Spring 2026
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Migration Tracker
Track the northward migration wave in real time with live eBird sighting data. Wayne, PA typically sees first arrivals in late April to early May. Is your Hummingbird Haven ready?
Interactive Migration Map
Google Maps heat map with 7,000+ live eBird sightings, state-by-state arrival status, Chester County local data, and daily migration volume charts.
Open Full TrackerReady to Build Your
Hummingbird Haven?
Whether you start with a single Cardinal Flower or a full habitat redesign, Bob can help you build a garden that brings hummingbirds back year after year.