Plow & Hearth Hummingbird Feeder Review

Little Miss M and I love working in the garden.  So when Plow & Hearth offered to let us choose an item from their huge selection of products, we were super excited!  Plow & Hearth is the perfect place to visit when looking to redecorate or perk up your home or yard.  We immediately sat down together and browsed their site.  We loved almost everything in the garden section and had a very hard time choosing.  But after a few hours we made a decision.  Before I tell you what we selected, let me first tell you a little about the company!

Plow & Hearth offers unique, high-quality products for home, hearth, yard and garden.  You can browse their selection and order using their catalog, retail stores, or their website.  In my opinion they are a magnificent company.  Packed full of great products, their online store guarantees that you will find exactly what you are looking for to spruce up your home or garden. 

After looking through all of Plow & Hearth's great products we chose to review the Looking Glass Hummingbird Feeder; a perfect addition to our growing garden.  Little Miss M has been asking about a feeder since last spring.  I wanted something that was sturdy and elegant and I did not want one of those plastic red/yellow ones because, let’s be honest…they look cheap.  I have also heard that mold is a common problem with the plastic ones.  Obviously you still need to clean glass ones but not as often.

We absolutely love the Looking Glass Hummingbird Feeder!  With its beautiful vine-like design, durable tempered glass, 32-ounce nectar reservoir, and 4 bee-resistant flower-shaped feeding ports it is the perfect addition to any yard.  And when the sun shines through the glass, it illuminates beautifully.  The slight touch of red on the flower ports is just enough to catch the hummers’ attention without overpowering the design.  But if you do find that the hummingbirds are not interested try placing the feeder in a shadier place and tying a red ribbon around the base.  I love that the rim of the base is designed for the younger hummers.  With this feeder they have a place to perch and eat without having to hover.  It's glass reservoir makes it easy to monitor the nectar levels and unscrews easily from the base for trouble-free cleaning and filling.  This is definitely a high quality feeder that adds an artistic flair to our garden.  I had planned on setting it up outside as soon as it arrived but it has been bitterly cold and the ground is completely frozen.  We cannot wait for spring to come so we can enjoy all of the hummers!

Filling

Although the opening is small filling is a breeze.  It is suggested to buy pre-made nectar but it is cheaper to make your own and it works just the same.  The package insert says to use red food coloring when making your homemade nectar but I have heard that it can cause allergies and cancer in the birds.  I do not know if this is completely true but do want to be responsible for harming such beautiful creatures. So here is the recipe I use:

Home-Made Nectar Recipe

1 part sugar (plain white sugar)

4 parts water**

I combine the sugar and water and slowly heat it for about 2 minutes.  This will help dissolve the sugar and it also slows fermentation.  While it’s cooling down I quickly rinse the feeder with hot water and set it aside.  Make sure not to fill the reservoir until the nectar is completely cool!

**Sometimes I boil the water before adding the sugar and sometimes I do not.

Cleaning  Contrary to other reviews that I have seen, cleaning is not that difficult.  I simply fill it with warm soapy water and it shake vigorously.  Every few weeks, I add a weak bleach solution, swish it around, and rinse it thoroughly with hot water.  I make sure it is completely dry before filling it and returning it to the shepherd’s hook.

The one strange thing that I noticed about this feeder it that it does not hang completely straight.  However, this was easily resolved by gently working the copper hook and the top until it hangs the way you want.  The hook it pretty flexible so as long as you are gentle, you do not need to worry about breaking it.

As mentioned before, Plow and Hearth does not just offer products for your garden.  They also carry things like window treatments, bedding, fireplaces, and apparel making this a great place to shop for yourself as well as others.  

Their webpage is very organized.  Whether you are looking for a gift under $50, something for your garden, or something for your home, you can quickly find it without even having to scroll down. 

Plow and Hearth is a tad on the pricey side but they seem to make up for it with their sales.  That is why I requested their catalog and signed up for their email updates (click the link and scroll to the bottom of the page, it will be on the left side), I wouldn’t want to miss out.

Feel free to follow Plow & Hearth via Facebook and Twitter.  You can also find out more by visiting their website here.

And don't forget to check out their Annual Winter Sale that is going on right now!