Every gardener enjoys spying a visiting hummingbird in their backyard — these friendly pollinators are not only good for your garden but are also fun to see perched on your favorite flowers. Whether you’ve got a handy hummingbird feeder or not, you should know that there’s more to attracting hummingbirds than just having their favorite food. Maybe you already know the best plants for attracting hummingbirds to your yard, but are you aware of how to arrange them?

When hummingbirds fly over your yard, they’re specifically looking for a food source that is attractive enough to land on. Simply planting the flowers that hummingbirds love will not be as effective as grouping their favorite flowers together. This better attracts hummingbirds because it makes their favorite flowers a lot easier to spot from above. To a hummingbird, a large swath of bright flowers is practically irresistible. Additionally, groupings mimic how your flowers would grow together naturally, which is also highly attractive to hummingbirds.

When flowers are grouped together in modern landscapes, they’re often done so in odd gatherings, as groups of three, five, and seven of the same plant are thought to be most eye-catching and attractive — to people and hummingbirds alike.

Hummingbirds, of course, won’t be counting the number of bushes you have planted in your yard as they’re flying by — they’re just looking for food. But this is why larger groupings are helpful. Additionally, having a variety of flowering plants will increase the chances of the local hummingbirds spying your delicious flowers from above. It’s even better if those flowers are brightly colored, as hummingbirds are most attracted to red, orange, and yellow flowers.

Even if you plan on hanging a hummingbird feeder, arranging your garden to attract hummingbirds will help them learn that your garden is a place they can reliably land for a bite to eat.