There have been quite a few articles in the media this year detailing the decline in butterfly numbers. The adverse weather conditions we have experienced this year can only have made life more difficult for these beautiful insects, so perhaps it's time to think about planting with butterflies in mind.
Butterflies are a lovely sight in the garden, evocative of lazy summer days, plus they help to pollinate flowers for fruit and seed so it is in the gardener's interest to encourage them. Adult butterflies require nectar, so suitable nectar rich plants chosen for their flowering season will provide food from early spring to late autumn.
Good plants for attracting butterflies include Aubrieta, Arabis, Primroses, Sweet William and Wallflowers which are spring flowering; Phlox, Lavender, Buddleia, Red Valerian and Salvia which are summer flowering; Sedum spectabile, Asters, Helenium, Hebe and Verbena bonariensis which flower in autumn. Butterflies, like most insects, love warmth, shelter and sunshine so try and plant your nectar rich flowers in a sheltered suntrap.
Butterfly larvae need different food sources such as stinging nettles, thistles and grasses - not so popular with the average gardener. But if you can find a corner to let some of these grow without invading the rest of the garden it could be beneficial to the local butterfly population. Even better would be an area of wild flower meadow but most people just don't have the space to do this.
Two good books for anyone wanting to create a butterfly garden are 'Garden Plants for Butterflies' by Matthew Oates and 'The Butterfly Gardener' by M. Rothschild and C. Farrell.
Gardening blog featuring a medium sized traditional English garden with mature trees, shrubs, lawn, herbaceous borders, vegetable patch, greenhouse and containers. All photos have been taken in my garden.
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