But one year I put in a couple of starts of wild columbine, given to me by an elderly neighbor, who'd been nurturing them for 50 years. The columbines flourished in my garden and have become a permanent feature. They come back spontaneously every year, renewed by the abundant seeds they produce all by themselves. With a little help from hummingbirds. I always place a feeder in the columbine patch, so that hummingbirds will discover it easily.
Hummingbirds remember where they found satisfaction last year.
I've seen them examine an area where flowers bloomed in the past, and I've seen one hover inquiringly exactly in the spot where a feeder hung in a previous season. Balance a penny on your finger and feel its weight. That is how much a Ruby-throated Hummingbird weighs. But this bird of one tenth ounce has some miles under his belt. Last fall he flew to Central America, where he spent the winter.