Hey, y’all! Thanks for watching my videos! I’m so glad to get to invite you into my garden and share what God is doing in it. I’m on the Alabama Gulf Coast in zone 9a. When I plant new plants I tell them, “Well, it’s up to you and God now! Y’all’ve gotta want to live!” It’s no wonder that God put Adam and Eve in a garden. Where else would He have put them? There are two places where I feel closest to God and that’s at the beach and in the garden, and that explains why I love those two places so dearly! I’ve been raising butterflies for seven years and I’ve been gardening for that long too. My garden has mostly consisted of random plants in containers, but in February 2021 my husband installed a rose arbor in the backyard. Now I’m doing everything that I can to attract as many butterflies as possible. I want clouds of them, and I want to encourage others to plant for butterflies too. There’s so much joy and hope to be found in the garden!
Thank you for your video. You have lots of good information in there. For all of your viewers, the tropical milkweed plants, such as the orange-flowered variety shown, should not be grown in warm climates, as they contribute to the OE parasite problem which is easily transferred, and can kill the Monarch butterfly should they come in contact with them. Common milkweed is the premier choice, as it will die off each season, and any OE spores will die off with them. In Canada, the tropical milkweed isn't an OE spore problem, as the tropical milkweed die off each fall, and should there be any spores, they die off as well. However, in warm climes, the tropical milkweed varieties will continue to grow without a die-off, and the OE spores will flourish, and spread. Moreover, experts are saying that the tropical milkweeds also contain a much higher level of cardenolides, the toxic chemical that protects the Monarch, that can be harmful to them because of its potency. So, to any Monarch guardians everywhere, especially in warm climes, please do not grow tropical milkweed, or you will be causing more harm than good. Thank you. 🦋🦋
I recently started raising 2 monarch caterpillars that I found on my milkweed plant in California. They're only about a week old so far. (I just watched your video to help me learn more!) And the other day, I saw a giant swallowtail butterfly flutter around my citrus tree, landing occasionally, and immediately afterwards, I found two eggs. So I'm going to try to raise those also. I've never raised any kind of butterfly before. It seems like a difficult task, but it's super exciting to see their progress each day! 🙂
Wow what a beautiful garden. So glad I stumbled across your channel and just subscribed. I’m from Queensland Australia and love gardening and traveling. I’ve been busy building swales and other garden projects. Your channel is so inspiring. Looking forward to go through your channel videos. Keep up the fantastic work. 😊😊😊
Thank you, Leon! That’s super exciting that you are into permaculture! I love reading Australian magazines because your summer is during our winter and it pleases me to know that gardens are growing down under at that time!
Great video! Probably I missed some information. My son growing these butterflies from caterpillar to butterfly. We have passion vines at home (inside). Caterpillars look happy with that. But when they come out we try to feed them with sugar water, pineapple, orange, and banana. They just became weak after 3-4 days, stopped flying and ..... This happened with just two of them for now. At this moment we have 5 chrysalises and 6 small caterpillars. How do we have to feed them and on what day release them? Thank you so much in advance.
Oh, no! I just saw this comment! I usually release my butterflies on the day that they emerge. That way they can go find their own nectar. It’s way easier! LOL! I hope that your butterflies have been doing better!!!
Awwww, thank you!!! I missed getting to make a video and getting to share it with you! I can’t wait to get back to growing new stuff and having more gardening adventures! I hope that the Gulf fritillaries will be swarming by the time I get back!
What a great video,I have been raising Monarchs here in Christchurch New Zealand for a couple of year's now for the same rason as you,,they are nearly extinct here in the South Island of New Zealand,,as you say it is frightening because you would like them all to survive,This year 24, I'm growing my own seedlings to try and keep up with these caterpillars do they eat and grow so quickly,I'm moving those butterflys into a Butterfly castle here, These castles look like a box made of tight see through netting with a zip to allow you to put plants inside for your caterpillars to keep eating until they climb up onto the top of that castle and change to that next stage,they cannot get out until you open that zip to allow them to fly away,,thanks for the idea of taking pieces of milkweed and place it into water,,I have been doing that also as cuttings to grow new plants from but will now leave those caterpillars on some of them in my castle...Love your Garden too and the advise for what plants they love I know they LOVE my Dahlias,,I also have several Buddliahs they Love those,,will plant some Salvia too..
Oh, yay, Lynn! I had no idea that monarch butterflies were in New Zealand, too! That’s so cool!!! I hope you can grow more milkweed! I let it grow wherever it wants to grow in my garden and I feel like I could always use more. LOL! Something fun that I have done recently is to send containers with monarch chrysalises home with friends of mine who have darling kids. I’m letting them “foster” them for me and release them when they emerge. It’s been so rewarding to share them with the kids!!! Thank you so much for all that you do for butterflies!!!!!!!
@@gulfcoastbutterflygardening thanks for your reply,,I'm trying to breed Red Admiral too,,those butterflys hang around alot more,,as you say Monarchs turn to butterflys,,dry their wing's out and head off into the air over the fence to start their lives,,I normally manage to release just over a hundred,,start of summer to autumn, the last ones head off and shelter high up in the trees of one of my neighbours or down at our local park, it's nering spring here in Christchurch my bulbs are already flowering even though it's pretty cold here,,-1 in the mornings up to 9 degrees C during the day,,I've seen a couple of Monarchs in my garden already,,can't wait to start the process again,,it's quite addictive helping something survive,,thanks again,,I never get sick of watching other people enjoying the same things i do and always learning something new from every one I watch :0)
Is that a Malva Zebrina hollyhock? I grew it a few years ago from seed but it was so sparse, not as healthy as yours! If it is Malva Zebrina, I want to try and grow it again. Thanks for sharing your garden! And thanks for showing the butterflies dancing - I was laughing when one landed on a flower and the others "told" him to keep dancing! I only see bees in my garden and I'd sit there watching them and forget what I'm doing.
Aren’t those territorial butterflies a hoot?!? I love watching the bees, too! They are just as entertaining! Today I accidentally watered one while it was sleeping on a zinnia. I was sorry for very rudely awakening him! - It is the malva zebrina hollyhock! Some of mine were healthy and some were not. I’m going to try placing them in different lighting situations next year and see what they like best! God bless you!!! I hope you are having an awesome week!
Thank you 🦋 learned a lot. I’ve been raising monarchs for about 3 years in New England & currently have 5 caterpillars in different stages. Good luck and thank you again
Oh, yay, Kat! I’m so thankful that you are raising monarchs, too!!! The world needs more butterflies! Thank you for watching!!! God bless you and keep you and aid you in all of your endeavors!
Don’t you just love hairstreaks?? What a gift to have him visit you! I love their little stripey antennae! Those big bright zinnias are like a little welcome into the garden! The wooly thyme!! So sweet! I can not get over how full and amazing it all looks!!! Goodness! LOL ALLLL buddleas poop out on me! I mean….Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous, DEAD😵 “Bless you my child!” 🤣 Same, girl. I love volunteer gomphrena! Oh, the mallow! So dreamy. I’ve gotta get some of that native phlox! Your dahlias are so pretty this year! You are the dahlia whisperer. I love that we both have “mosquito moments” <<whack>> WHILE filming! 🤣🤣🤣🦟👏😵 Ha! I’m always planting things that are going to be 30’ high right next to the fence. Yay for Pipevine!! I love your tiny garden! 💕 Oooooh. All your new trees! I need like a couple of extra acres just so I can grow all the trees I want. I bet your tea was wonderful! What a darling entrance and a delicious table! Your butterfly game is ON FIRE! I’ve never seen so many butterflies! I love how they occasionally buzz the camera. MAGICAL! One time I had a chrysalis come off of its stick, and so I made a tiny little pocket out of a paper towel and taped it to the side of a flower pot, and just barely tucked the chrysalis into the pocket, and it worked out fine. I think you put the end poking up that has the two little notches on it. Thanks for the beautiful and inspiring tour! ❤❤
LOL, Jo! You are so fun!!! I love that you GET me! We have the same delighted reactions to the same things like….all…..the…..time! Yes, the mosquito dodging whilst videoing becomes almost olympic, doesn’t it?!? - Oh! I hope you will get to indulge in all of your tree planting dreams one day!!! We are working on getting a few acres right now and somehow, I have already collected four trees for it that have been gifted to me outta the blue! - That’s a smart idea to make a chrysalis pocket!!! I will attempt it next time! - There are so many butterfly larval hosts that are trees, and if I am going to have actual clouds of butterflies, then I gotta grow forests!
@@gulfcoastbutterflygardening I love that you already have trees for your future land! Yay! I’m the same way- I’ve got lots of butterfly hosts that are regular plants…. Now I need the treeeeeees! 🌳 I’m currently eyeing the spot next to my leaf pile that is now empty because of the hurricane tree disaster, and I’m wondering if I can plant some small trees that will be pretty back there in my newly created sunny spot, that will be both butterfly hosts AND small enough to plant under electrical wires. 👀
@@gulfcoastbutterflygardening you won’t believe this! My garden was chosen to be on RU-vid channel dig plant water repeat. Chosen from hundreds of entries. I was sooo excited!
Thank you, Jo!!! I’m going to get caught up on your videos! I can’t wait to see how your repaired fence looks and where you put your “retail therapy” plants!!!
Hi Rachel. The rain and thunder sound so wonderful! We've finally had some rain! Thank you for telling us your plans. I hope the rest of your summer is wonderful. I'll miss you. 🥰🙋♀️🐛🦋🌻💐
Oh, thank God that you have gotten some rain, Tammy!!! I’m going to miss you, too!!! I saw your latest garden photos! That photo of the tiger swallowtail on your butterfly trellis was so pretty!!! Have a fabulous rest of your summer!
On my goodness! It’s all so beautiful and lush!! MAGICAL! Yes!! Gomphrena for the win! Starting seeds is absolutely key! I went the way of direct sowing this year and I was pretty happy with it, but you are Next Level Extra! I love that you are educating friends and neighbors about butterflies! I am commenting a month after you put this video up, so I have just been through hurricane Beryl. I had several power company lineman in my yard that I showed an eastern black swallowtail chrysalis to and talked to them about butterfly gardening! Two even took pictures to send to moms and girlfriends! Oh, I’m so glad that pink salvia seed came up so beautifully! I think it maybe hybridized in my yard, because none of my plants are blooming quite that color!! And some of mine randomly came up white!! 🤷🏼♀️ Oooooh! That tiger swallowtail!! Stunning. I had one land on me in Rocky Mountain National Park a few weeks ago! Honestly, your garden is just jaw dropping. Everywhere you look 😲🤯😵 I love the view from above! And the kale just standing to attention like, “halloooooo”! Such a pretty combo of penstemon and snapdragons! I love how you have passionvine just wandering around through the zinnias! When I see it “out in the wild” at Camp Allen, that’s exactly what it’s doing- wandering around on the ground amongst the wildflowers! That moth caterpillar! Whoa! I love the pop of blue that plumbago gives! Someday you and I will have matching walls covered in plumbago! 😂 Ok. The owls. Whaaaat???😮 Thanks for the gorgeous tour! It has cheered me no end to see it and hear your voice after watching my garden so devastated in the hurricane. I’m literally cheered up enough to go get my grubby gardening clothes on and pot up some flowers I bought yesterday during my retail therapy. Thanks, friend! ❤
Oh, Jo!!! That tiger swallowtail landing on you was to let you know that everything was going to be okay! Even after all the devastation in your garden and the scary things that they drove through it, it’s going to come back stronger, healthier, and more vigorous than even before!!!!! That’s so wild about the pink salvia! I love that you even had white ones!!! Oh, yeah! We’ll have plumbago walls as good, nay better, than they have at that nursery! Now that we know it can be done, we gotta top ‘em! I’m so thankful that you are right back at it in the garden!!!!! It’s the best medicine!!!!!!
LOL! Well, they do love citrus since it is one of their larval host plants! They especially love new, tender leaves, and they can strip a sapling, much to many a gardener’s consternation!
That’s right, handle God’s business first (VBS) and he will take care of you, your garden 🌺 🪴 and them butterflies 🦋 . So glad You have your priorities in order my sister. Rachel, I’m going to miss you on Sunday !
Yes! VBS was so fabulous!!! The kids absorbed all the amazing Bible lessons like actual sponges! - I’ve had a wonderful vacation time, but I’ve been missing y’all!!!
Oh, yes, Mary!!! VBS was so awesome! The lessons were memorable and fun and the kids soaked it up like actual little sponges! It was really such an incredible experience!!! I hope you’ve been having a wonderful summer, too!
Have a wonderful 6 weeks off! (We are finally getting rain here in GA. Very thankful, for sure…the garden can take care of itself for awhile now other than pulling a few weeds here & there.) Enjoy yourself Rachel & hugs from GA❤
Oh, yay, Linda!!! I hope you have continued to get rain! We’ve had it off and on, but I still have had to run the sprinklers more than I wanted to! I hope you’ve been having a wonderful summer!!! I’ve missed you!!!
Hey Rachel! I had a butterfly the other day! Made me think of you! Also started growing some fennel. Maybe too late? Thanks for another beautiful tour! Your gardening buddy! Deanna
Do you bring your caterpillar’s inside your home? I just started helping or raising? Lol gulf fritillaries. They have come to my passion vine and just keep multiplying. I wasn’t sure if I had to keep them outside to keep their temperature acclimated to the weather? I have a new little home coming from Amazon and have other ideas for homes to have several options. Thank you for your help 😊🦋
Hey, Tina! I do bring the caterpillars in and I’ve wondered if they mind air-conditioning. It doesn’t seem to limit them! Sometimes I keep them in the sunroom and it’s a little warmer in there. I hope your butterfly raising is going well!!!
I am enjoying your gorgeous colourful jungle ❤ WOW WOW! Love your channel and look forward to your updates! What a beautiful shot @2:10 The colors are just stunning!
It is a really pretty AND tasty plant! I got the seeds from Botanical Interests! - I haven’t seen any butterflies on it, but to be fair, there are so many zinnias near it that it’s hard for it to compete!
I had a gazillion monarch caterpillars in the early spring, but they disappeared for a while. I have giant milkweed. It’s such an interesting plant, and it will fill in the gap when you run short. Your garden looks amazing. My husband and I spent yesterday pulling vines out of our 50-year-old azaleas. Potato vines have taken over Florida🤣
I’m gonna have to grow some giant milkweed! I didn’t even know that was a thing! Thanks, Cindy!!! - LOL about the sweet potato vines! It’s true!!! Mine are growing up on the roof of the house now! Yikes!
Beautiful Rachel! We have finally been getting rain, hallelujah! It’s been so hot I can only stay out for a short time! So grateful for the rain, that way I don’t have to water. It takes a long time to water two and a half acres!
Oh my goodness, Kelli! I cannot even comprehend how one would go about watering 2 1/2 acres!!! I’m so thankful that you got rain and I hope you’ve continued to have it at just the right intervals!!!
I also live in zone 9 Fairhope Alabama. I’m visiting my daughter in Ohio the last 2 months, not sure what will have lived or died🫤by the time I get back. I agree with having more Gomphena it grew so well last year so I’m growing more. Also last summer while visiting my daughter I brought some clearance pink lemonade calibrachoa it grew beautifully and overwintered and is doing great in containers. Love your channel, fun seeing the caterpillars that’ll soon be butterflies.
