Eric, I think Janalyn is giving you good advice. I won't get into a debate with you over whether your cat hunts when you're not looking. Your neighbors may have cats that do hunt. I'm allergic to cats and therefore have none, but see other people's cats in my yard regularly since I started feeding birds. I've noticed the hummers spend longer at plants and perches that are higher up. I think they feel safer that way. If you give the hummingbirds a spot where they are comfortable, you will get to see them more. We can give you better suggestions if you're more specific. I'm glad you added that this container will be on the porch. How big is the container? Did you want to hang up the container, set it on the porch floor, or something in between? Window box on a porch railing, perhaps? How much sun does your porch get? Do you care what the plant looks like in winter? If you want a plant that looks good year round to decorate your house in winter, that will narrow your options considerably. I second the vote for fuchsias, with the caveat that you will need to choose the variety carefully. I think for your area you'll need to seek out heat-tolerant fuchsias. Fuchsias come in both trailing and upright shapes. I grow several different ones and have seen the hummers nectar on all of them. In my area, fuchsias are healthiest in either dappled shade all day, or morning sun followed by shade the rest of the day. Generally speaking, triphylla types can handle more sun and heat. I have heard that some people grow triphyllas in full sun but haven't tried it. For me, they fill a useful niche as a shade-tolerant hummingbird plant. I overwinter them in the garage too.

they DO like to be root bound.. not nearly as much as the bird of Paradise though. get a pot not much more than 1 or 2" bigger than what you have. A good sturdy plastic "nursery" pot is the best. the big black ones, with big drainage holes. you know, the ones that your plants come in when you buy them from the nursery. use a good potting mix. Buy a big plastic clear drainage pan that fits underneath it with room to spare. NOW, go out and find your glazed pot. with no drainage holes, and no tray. It will have to be big enough that the plastic tray and pot will fit inside comfortably. Now, more than likely the decorative pot will be taller than the plastic one. so, find something sturdy to place in the bottom of the decorative pot to raise up the plant. you can use big chunks of styrofoam, wood, other pots upside down.. what ever. Put the plastic tray and then the potted plant on top of that. It the decorative pot is wider, You can brace the plant's plastic planter with styrofoam, old t'shirt.. lol isn't someone trying to get rid of a bunch? wadded up newpaper works very well, on top of that newspaper spread out some spanish moss to beautify the whole top! Just like the pros. they BEST thing for you AND the plant AND the decorative pot is to NOT plant them directly in to the decorative pot.

First, don't think of experience with bonsai right now. Bonsai is an art form, and it sounds like focus on the horticulture is what is needed. FT is a tropical- they like heat and humidity (though those water trays really seem to have little effect), good air circulation, and LOTS of light. They are a little finicky and show their unhappiness by dropping leaves, which will grow back in plenty when the stress is removed. They are just as likely to have lost leaves from shipping stress as heat during shipping. If there is full sun in the sun room, great. If little air circulation, a rotating fan that rustles the leaves in its rotation should be great. Try to keep foliage several inches from the glass windows to prevent cooking leaves when the sun is beating down. Most people are trying to remove humidity from their houses in the summer, so it's hard to provide it for the plant indoors but they do like high humidity. Oh, and they don't like to have the roots stay wet but don't like to dry out completely either. If soil predominantly too wet, leaves will start to get some black in them, go a little limp, fall off. If too dry, browning and crispy and falling off. Sites like bonsaiempire and bonsaitoolchest may have more info- I'm just sharing my experiences. If you can keep it alive and thriving over a couple years, then look to bonsai development. If it becomes a shaggy monster during that time, you will have done well and the trunk should have thickened somewhat (though trunk thickening how-to's can fill a book and are better left for another day...). ez

Stanton, Mashland, Karastan (higher end) are wonderful products, and I would go wool. However, Smart Strand is a good medium priced option. Agree with Elizabeth B…the padding makes a huge difference. I always recommend SmartStep. It has a waterproof barrier which keeps spills (and other liquids…(woof, woof) from seeping into the pad. Ever tried to remove a stain from a rug, think you have accomplished it and two days later it is back? It is because the culprit is in the pad and not the rug. If. the pad needs to be seemed, have the seem duct taped or as I have always called the product DuckTape.