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    Shelburne Museum Gardens Hummingbird Guide

    Shelburne, Chittenden CountyMuseum GardensAdmission: Paid

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    Every bag of NectarBloom™ funds the guides, the Hummingbird Trail, the lab testing, and the free care resources on this site. When you buy our nectar, you help us keep hummingbird education open, honest, and growing — for every bird lover, everywhere.

    NectarBloom 2 lb bag — pure cane sugar hummingbird nectar

    NectarBloom™ — 2 lb Bag

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    No boiling, no dye. The same sugar hummingbird flowers make. One ingredient, nothing else. Makes up to 160 oz of fresh feeder nectar per bag.

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    • No boiling, no dye
    • The same sugar hummingbird flowers make
    • One ingredient, nothing else: 100% pure cane sugar
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    “Your purchase isn’t just nectar — it’s how we keep this hummingbird care library free, accurate, and growing.”

    Thank you for flying with us

    Overview

    Shelburne Museum is the largest art and history museum in northern New England, set on 45 acres with 39 historic buildings and more than 20 distinct gardens. Founded in 1947 by Electra Havemeyer Webb, the museum's extraordinary landscape features hundreds of lilacs and peonies in spring, 1,700-plus daylilies in summer, heirloom vegetable and herb gardens, perennial borders, an apothecary garden, and annual gardens bursting with zinnias and dahlias. The museum's extensive plantings across 20+ individual garden spaces create diverse and sustained hummingbird habitat throughout summer.

    Hummingbirds to Watch For

    • • Ruby-throated

    Most Common Hummingbird

    The most commonly sighted hummingbird at Shelburne Museum Gardens is the Ruby-throated.

    Best Time to Visit

    Plan your visit during June, July, August, September for the highest chance of hummingbird sightings. Early morning and late afternoon are typically the most active feeding times.

    Plants and Habitat

    • • Bee balm (*Monarda didyma*) — perennial borders and apothecary garden
    • • Garden phlox (*Phlox paniculata*)
    • • Zinnias — Owl Cottage Garden and annual beds
    • • Dahlias — seasonal planters
    • • Daylilies (*Hemerocallis*) — over 1,700 plants in 38 varieties
    • • Flowering herbs (salvia, hyssop) — Hat and Fragrance Garden and Settlers' Gardens

    NectarBloom Tip

    The museum opens seasonally and closes in late October. For maximum hummingbird activity, visit in late July or early August when the daylilies and bee balm overlap with the summer annual display. The Owl Cottage Garden (zinnias) and the perennial borders near the Meeting House Garden are often the most productive spots for hummingbird sightings. A full garden circuit of all 20+ spaces takes 2–3 hours.

    Visitor Notes

    Admission required. Open seasonally May through late October. Photography for personal use welcome. ADA accessible on main paths throughout most of the 45-acre campus.

    Map

    Ruby-throated near Bee balm (*Monarda didyma*) — perennial borders and apothecary garden at Shelburne Museum Gardens in Vermont

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    Reviews and Sightings

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    Sources

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