As I walked from my driveway into my back door, I received a two-fold reward for my efforts in building winter interest into my garden.

First, I heard the distinctive chirp of a hummingbird. I couldn’t find him with my eyes, but was in my garden. I have lured him with my plantings and my lack of pesticides. You see, he seeks nectar and small insects in his diet.

Second, his lures caught both my eye and my nose. My witchhazel is in full bloom, and he knows it. Even on cold, grey winter days, you can’t miss this plant in the garden. Its yellow blooms brighten the day and its fragrance perfumes the back garden. I wish you could scratch and sniff right now!

When the witchhazel fades, my friend the hummingbird will not be without food in my garden. Warmer days later in winter will bring gnat hatches offering him tiny bits of protein. Small flowered hardy fuchsia still bloom on my front porch. (And yes, I have seen him that close to the front door. Hummingbirds are daredevils!) Flowering winter currants are starting to shed their outer bud cases, getting ready to open in just a few short weeks. After that, the garden becomes a free-for-all of spectacular blooms, promising hummingbirds who didn’t stick around through winter will be jealously trying to take away my chirping winter friend’s hard-earned territory.