April 2024 Backyard Garden Tour | Part 1 | pollinator garden🦋🐛 | Texas Gulf Coast Zone 9b

I split the April garden tour into two segments, and this is Part 1. Here is the KZbin link to Part 2: • April 2024 Backyard Ga... . For those of us along the upper SE Texas Gulf Coast spring is pretty much over and our summer is beginning at the end of April and beginning of May. Temperatures are in the 80s during day and 70s at night. Gardens are filled with flowers, pollinators, birds, bugs, and lizards. I love this time of year because everything is doing so well in the garden and we haven't hit 90 degrees yet! I have split this April Garden Tour into two segments. This is segment one. I hope you can join me!

[@kareninhtownmitchell9191]

I planted some Cardinal Climber seeds and they have sprouted. I am excited about it. Also, planted Tithonia seeds. The plants are glorious! Thanks for sharing your gardens with us.

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

Thank you for sharing, because it is always fun to know what others are doing in the greater metro Houston area! 😊 I am curious to know what you think of the tithonia as it keeps growing. I couldn't believe how large mine got in full sun last year. I will always have it now because of all the butterflies it attracts .... but I have to have a dedicated place for it because of the size. lol. And good luck with your cardinal climber! The pollinators are going to love your yard.

[@jillbruce3624]

Beautiful.

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

Thank you! 😊

[@tammyjones949]

Cristal, I always look so forward to your videos and the tours. Every thing is just so lush, purposeful and just beautiful. I am so enjoying all the wildlife and nature that’s going on in our yard due mainly to the knowledge I am learning from you. Southeast Ga here. I have actually done two gardening tours with my friends and it’s just so much fun seeing what everyone plants . The monarch butterfly has done their job on my milkweed 🥰 and it’s f caffeinating to see eggs and caterpillars and now I find myself looking on my citrus for caterpillars also. Just wanted to say Thank you for sharing your beautiful yard and wonderful knowledge / experiences with us.

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

Thank you ... you made my day! 😀 We can have beautiful gardens AND help our pollinators out at the same time! I love what you are doing in your SE Georgia garden. It is so much fun when you see your "first" of something. It is also helpful to see what people grow in our hot and humid southern zone/s. I love finding new plants that work well for us.

[@davettayoung1495]

Hi Crystal🌷 I’ve been talking so much about the Cardinal Climber, I forgot to tell you I went out and purchased my first Hot Lips plant! It’s about six inches tall, with six buds on it. You reminded me, by showing yours in your beautiful backyard 🩷

[@jennifergreene8891]

I also got Hot Lips and Amistad! The wind has been crazy hard the past few days and the rain last night and this AM was hard too.

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

Fantastic! I hope you like yours as much as I like mine. I find that I gently rub the leaves each day to smell the wonderful scent (along with my bush salvia). A Commenter mentioned on a previous video there is an Amethyst Lips which is also very nice. I have not seen that one yet. 😊

[@cherylsloan1305]

So glad to find you. I am always looking for Houston area pollinator gardeners. I am up in Kingwood.

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

Wonderful! I love connecting with other pollinator gardeners in the area. My husband I and I were watching 4 hummingbirds very early this morning in the garden. It just never gets old. I hope you are okay given all the flooding.

[@larryearlgosnell]

Saw a hummingbird 6 pm Humble-Atascocita. Just a heads up. He was feeding on the Blue Sage Salvia farinacea.

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

That is awesome! 😊 It is great that you have our native salvia in your yard! (The pollinators love you for it).

[@goldengirl65]

It's looking lovely

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

Thank you! How is your weather now?

[@goldengirl65]

​@@ButterfliesNBirdswe are colder now, mostly into the mid to high teens Celcius. We did have a couple of days recently up to 23 Celcius which was lovely for working in the garden but then back to cooler. Autumn leaves are beautiful colours now and some are falling. Mornings are damp but the plants are still flowering so far. Some of my roses have taken off the last couple of weeks and are flowering much better than summer. Salvias are still doing well. The other day I potted up a limelight salvia with a bright deep pink salvia. They look great. I was hoping my yellow salvia would flower as it's been putting on lovely new growth since I put them in a bigger pot but no signs of flowers yet. When does your yellow flower, autumn? My butterfly bushes are looking nice. They are only small and I need to get them into bigger pots one day soon. I was thinking while watching your video isn't it nice we both have them flowering at the same time eventhough we are in different seasons.

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

My yellow salvia flowers in our fall (it starts in October for me). I thought the same thing too ... we are in opposite seasons, but have the same flowers flowering! 👍😊 I like to plant for my long growing season, so I typically don't plant "just spring" flowers for instance. I want my plants to perform over the "long haul". lol.

[@goldengirl65]

​@@ButterfliesNBirdschecked my yellow salvia today and there's more new growth but it's slightly different to the leaves so I'm hoping for a flower. Fingers crossed.

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

Oh, I hope you get some yellow blooms from it too soon!

[@cajunlady4893]

Hi I just subscribed to your garden channel. Zone 9b SE coastal Louisiana area. I am trying to make a hummingbird and butterfly haven. Thank you for showing your lovely garden with insightful information.

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

Hi - that's awesome and welcome! You are in SE Louisiana, so we have very similar growing conditions. I think it is fantastic you are making a hummingbird and butterfly haven!!! 😍🦋 I have video playlists for both if you are interested in more of my videos: - butterflies kzbin.info/aero/PLlIeREXp9e0At9B6puI9jmqyzVv8vbsHj&si=wN_yB_3dX1-lJ35C - hummingbirds kzbin.info/aero/PLlIeREXp9e0BWgNSNEkIuxsqW9lrz5BwK&si=ZK8LaKPKlmlvRSIm

[@cajunlady4893]

​@@ButterfliesNBirds Thank you!

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

You're welcome! When I started, I started with just one garden bed and a few containers. Now looking back, I am so glad I did it like that so I didn't get overwhelmed. Let me know how your haven progresses! 👍😍

[@wesleyhackney]

Just now Hogg to watch part 1 of your tour will watch part 2 tomorrow. Great presentation. Lots to see. I’m still busy trying to install my drip system on my deck. Very tedious but making progress. I can’t find those stakes you recommended anywhere in the box stores. Guess I’ll have to use those emitters or bubblers. Everything is in pots so hopefully it will all work out

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

Putting in drip is tedious, but so worth it over the long run. I got my pot stakes at Lowes. One time I had to order them from the Lowe's Website and have them delivered to my local Lowes. I can still get them locally. (Mister Landscaper 8 GPH Half-circle Drip Irrigation Micro Spray (Pack Of-3) | Item #279400 | Model #MLS-POTSTK). Whatever you end up using should be fine, it is just getting the flow rate to what you need. Get adjustable whatever you decide because I'm sure your pots aren't all the same size.

[@wesleyhackney]

@@ButterfliesNBirds great advice and thanks for these details I’ll see if I can order them via Lowe’s online. Thanks

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

@wesleyhackney You bet! I absolutely love my drip irrigation .... it is a gardening game changer for me.

[@pinkcheermom1858]

Just found your channel and LOVE your garden! I’m in your area. Where do you find all these fabulous natives? I have such a hard time. I do get lucky every once in a while at Enchanted Gardens.

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

That is awesome you are local! I have quite a bit of luck actually at Enchanted Gardens. BUT, I have found that their best selection is beginning of March through Mother's Day. If I want something in particular I will let them know and get on their "list" so they will contact me when they get it in. I also go in the spring every 3 weeks or so to browse. My neighbor and I will let each other know when we are going to see if the other wants us to pick up anything (because it is an hour drive). Then I also order plants (like from Joyfulbutterfly.com). I will look for native Texas plants because their website lets you search that way. Unfortunately their plants are usually small-ish. The bulk of what I do purchase is local, but I will order. This spring I only ordered some specialty Coleus.

[@jennifergreene8891]

Hi neighbor! 👋 What name is on that Lantana? Your garden is beautiful.

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

Hi! Thank you! 😊 The sterile and mounding Lantana is the Bloomify series. It is amazing! It just blooms and blooms all season long. And in Zone 9 it has returned from the roots each year for me after our freezes.

[@GlendasTexasGarden]

I love the bricks around your raised beds. Where could I buy those bricks from?

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

We got those from Home Depot in the garden section! 😊

[@GlendasTexasGarden]

@@ButterfliesNBirds Thanks so much

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

You're welcome! I am very grateful for Home Depot and Lowe's!

[@baerbelbegnaud5802]

Are you located in the San Antonio area? I live in the Beaumont area, we have the same zone 9 b

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

No, I'm located south of Houston, so closer to you and more your climate. We have very similar growing conditions. 😊

[@baerbelbegnaud5802]

We don’t see too many on this in our location

[@ButterfliesNBirds]

That is why I like sharing because gardeners are so helpful, and when they are in the same growing conditions we can get great plant and growing tips. 👍😊