Butterfly garden
Brightly coloured butterflies can be a welcome addition to any garden. And making your garden more attractive to butterflies does not have to be an expensive, major undertaking.
A few choice plants, a basking site and a source of water may be all that is needed to entice them.
Not only are you making your garden more attractive, you will be helping to protect the future of British butterflies.
Today, their numbers have declined seriously and five of our 59 resident species have become extinct. The future of nearly half our remaining species hangs in the balance as they continue to decline in many areas due to loss of habitat and climate change.
To attract the greatest number of butterflies, you will need to have plants that serve the needs of all life stages of the butterfly. They need a place to lay eggs, food plants for the larva, a place to form a chrysalis and a nectar source for the adult.
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Here are some suggestions to make your garden more desirable for butterflies:
Avoid using insecticides. Butterflies are insects, thus repellent sprays will kill them.
Learn to recognise the butterfly larvae, which look like caterpillars, and leave them alone.
Plant a variety of flowers that bloom from spring until autumn. They will provide a continuous source of nectar for the adult butterflies.
While adults are attracted to a wide variety of flowers, research has shown that most British butterflies favour blue, yellow and white blooms. Single flowers are easier for butterflies to get nectar from than the fuller double blossoms.
Locate your garden in full sun. Butterflies are most active on warm sunny days.
Provide a source of water such as a shallow saucer or a birdbath. Butterflies do drink.
Place several flat rocks in full sun in the garden. Butterflies need to warm up in the morning before they are capable of active flight. Rocks provide a basking site for butterflies to raise their body temperature.
Plants that attract butterflies
Always look for flowers with lots of nectar if you want to attract butterflies. Also, look for flowers whose blooms offer a suitable place for a butterfly to land and rest while feeding. Here are some flowers that will attract butterflies:
Achillea
Aster
Bee Balm
Bramble
Buddleia (butterfly bush)
Butterfly Flowers (Liatris)
Common Ragwort
Lavender
Lilies
Thistle
Violets
Wildflowers
Happy butterfly watching — long may it continue!
For more suggestions to attract wildlife to your garden
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