First Tour of my Butterfly Garden in 2024, Great to Compare Back to as the Year Progresses

[@cheridefries4980]

Hi Susan! So nice to see your beautiful garden again. It is looking so good, especially considering the cold we’ve had. I did as you said in your last video, and planted Mexican sunflower seeds. They all came up and are 1-2”. Not a single balloon milkweed came up though. I’ll have to order more seeds from Joyful Butterfly and try again. Love your new wall! It will look so nice as your plants grow and spill over the edge. Can’t wait to get more of your red pentas! They look great waiting on me in your hot house. 😁 Love how your Maypop is growing, too. Just cozied up your sitting area even more. ❤ Really enjoyed scurrying around your garden! 😆 Thank you! 🌸🐛🦋

[@ButterflyGardeningwithSusan]

I’m so glad you enjoyed scurrying with me. 😂😂😂. You know what’s funny….none of my Mexican sunflower seeds came up, but the zinnias did. Balloon milkweed took a while to germinate so give them more time. I ordered a bunch of flower seeds, including fresh Mexican sunflowers seeds. One pack I ordered had 1000 zinnia seeds. I’m giddy just thinking about it. 😂😂😂. Oh gosh, now I’m giddy and I scurry.

[@cindyenglish3130]

I saw a beautiful Queen today, and I continue to have lots of cats. I keep saying I am not bringing any more in. But, I always do!

[@ButterflyGardeningwithSusan]

I’m not bringing any more in for a few weeks til the weather straightens up. Plus, there isn’t anyone to bring in. 😉😉. I’m so glad you are still having caterpillar activity. 💕🐛🦋

[@N9diaries]

Beautiful garden🥰🥰

[@ButterflyGardeningwithSusan]

Thank you so much 💕🐛🦋

[@adventureswithbjthepresa]

We are in the dormant season. So everything looks dead and sad 😢. We too have been seeing a lot of rain and high winds. It sounds like a siren or that I'm living in a haunted house @ night 😂. Love your garden tour 🦋❤

[@ButterflyGardeningwithSusan]

The dormant season is hard isn’t it, but I do think that is a time for us to rest too. I am not good at resting at all, however I am a great sleeper. 😂😂😂. I guess that is why Florida is a good place for me. I will keep the videos coming and you hang on. Those first signs of spring will arrive. 💕🐛🦋

[@adventureswithbjthepresa]

@@ButterflyGardeningwithSusan it is. I was getting a little stressed when school started back up and trying to maintain and release cats. Now, I miss them. Rest is good but I cannot sit still and always find projects to do. Then I wonder why I am so tired 🤣. Love your videos and I am always learning something new 💕

[@ButterflyGardeningwithSusan]

It sounds like you and I are a lot alike. 😉💕🐛🦋

[@pigsNpickles23]

😂make up swatches ❤❤❤

[@ButterflyGardeningwithSusan]

Yes!!! 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕😂

[@tylermack9248]

Okay, I’ve scurried from IG as per your request. Let’s talk long tailed skippers… I think that you should try raising some in the lepidarium this year. Now that you know how to grow butterfly pea I think it could work out well. Also… I may or may not be going to the Cheesecake factory in Pittsburgh soon. Any recommendations?

[@ButterflyGardeningwithSusan]

Okay…for SURE the Cinnabon Cheesecake. I have tried raising Longtailed skippers several times and the caterpillars just disappear. Vanish… it’s a mystery. They seem to survive predators well because I have a lot of them in my garden.

[@chalkitup4827]

I loved seeing what's blooming in your winter garden! What do you think about that white beardtongue? It's on my "maybe" list. Also how do you plan on cleaning up that Florida paintbrush? Will you just hose it down? I heard we are getting freezing weather in Florida next week.. Boo!

[@ButterflyGardeningwithSusan]

Looks like high 30’s😳😳😳 I don’t want it. I will try the hose first on the Florida Paintbrush, but if that doesn’t work, I will wipe off the leaves. My white beard tongue hasn’t done anything yet, so I don’t really have thoughts about it. I’ll update about all of the wildflowers as spring arrives, to show what they all do.

[@chalkitup4827]

I know you covered your pentas last winter. How did your native plants do? Did you lose any? I need to go find that video. I remember you thought you lost some porterweed but it was okay. I just put up a frost cloth over my bed that is mostly natives. It was a decent amount of work and I'm not sure those native plants even need it! @@ButterflyGardeningwithSusan

[@ButterflyGardeningwithSusan]

I leave the natives, they can handle it. But, some of them completely turn brown and shrivel up, but they grow back from the base when it warms up. Living with a garden that looks dead and crispy and waiting for the plants to grow back again was not fun. But, they came back. Even my Papaya tree came back. I hope we don’t have a hard freeze this year. I don’t want to do that again.

[@sheliaheverin8822]

I wish I was there. We are 30 degrees right now and it's snowing......yuck.

[@ButterflyGardeningwithSusan]

I can honestly say that I don’t envy you. 😉😉. We went hiking today and got caught in a downpour. We were completely soaked, but still had a great time. I hope your winter is short and that you have your best butterfly season ever this year. 💕💕💕🐛🦋🐛🦋🐛🦋

[@sheliaheverin8822]

@@ButterflyGardeningwithSusan I think we got 2-3 inches...more than enough to last me all winter. I'm ready for Spring.