Colibri, the hummingbirds in the garden

Villa 4 is named Colibri, the hummingbird. Costa Rica is home to more than 50 species, and they live at a pace that looks impossible until you watch one hover at a heliconia. They feed on nectar every 10 to 15 minutes, which is why garden paths at Blessed House stay busy with tiny wings.

Sit still near flowers in the morning. You do not need a long hike. The birds come to the same plants that line the walk between cabins, and a quiet ten minutes is often enough.

Heliconias, ginger, and other garden plants do the inviting. We keep those plantings because they feed more than the eye. A hummingbird at the railing is not decoration. It is the garden working.

Do not put out sugar water without asking. Wrong mix and dirty feeders harm the birds we named the villa for. Flowers already do the job.

Villa 4 is scaled for a couple or a small family, close to the trees. Open a window in the morning and listen before you look. The first sound is often wings.