Spring Migration: Hummingbirds are here

So happy to report a hummingbird stopped by my yard today. It spent time on the red sage, pretty much the only flower blooming in the garden apart from the pink salvia greggii. The pictures are terrible because I had to capture it from inside the house through the window screen. But I am posting them as a record of the sighting.

I have researched and planted native plants in my garden in an effort to attract birds and pollinators. We live in the migration corridor. So every spring and fall we expect to see hummingbirds and monarch butterflies. It is such a pleasure to see these little creatures dancing around the garden feasting on the plants we put out for them. 

I know a lot of people put out feeders. I do not. I cannot believe there is anything good in white sugar and water. It is devoid of all nutrients. Instead the nectar produced by the plants has an abundance of nutrients to nourish their little bodies. If you are on planning on putting out feeders I encourage you to plant native species instead.

Homemade Sweet Potato Slips

Last month I found a purple sprouting sweet potato in the pantry. It had obviously been left too long. I read somewhere that the tubers grow slips and that you can grow a sweet potato plant with them. I have decided to carry out an experiment. I hope to harvest sweet potatoes this fall. 

I cut out the sprouted end and used the rest of the potato for cooking. I pierced 3-4 toothpicks in the sprouted end to provide support and placed it in a glass of water. I placed the glass on a window sill. My window is south facing and gets direct sunlight all afternoon. I believe some sunlight throughout the day should suffice. I have changed the water every other day. I am using tap water. Two weeks into the experiment I got this. 

I think it is ready to plant in the garden and my vegetable bed is ready for it. But I have decided to wait a little longer. I want stronger roots to give the plant the best chance of survival. I will update on the progress of this little experiment in the next few weeks.