GARDENING – AUGUST.qxp_Layout 2 24/07/2023 11:17 Page 1
Boost the butterflies
“One of the best ways we can help these beautiful creatures is to plant nectar-rich flowers in our garden,” says Elly West, who, this month, looks at ways we can help Britain’s butterfly population...
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ho doesn’t love seeing a butterfly in the garden, flitting and dancing through the border, before landing on a flower and spreading its colourful wings? The sight takes me right to my childhood and the big buddleia bush in our front garden that provided hours of fun, catching butterflies in fishing nets and trying – usually unsuccessfully – to get them to crawl about on my hand for as long as possible before they opened their wings to fly away. At that time in the early 1980s, I remember the tortoiseshells and peacocks in abundance, while red admirals and painted ladies were more coveted, and a bright yellow brimstone would be worthy of a shout indoors to show another family member. Caterpillars were another source of fascination, my favourite being the elephant hawkmoth caterpillar – big, dark and velvety with those fake ‘eyes’ to scare off predators. I was also happy to ‘collect’ cabbage-white caterpillars from the veg plot, and keep them as pets in various boxes and tins. Local butterfly populations are constantly in a state of flux, with some sadly in decline and others on the up, but they all need help from us gardeners, who can play a vital part in providing nectar-rich plants for the adults and food for the caterpillars. According to Butterfly Conservation – a UK charity dedicated to butterflies and moths – nearly half of our 59 British butterfly species are threatened or near-threatened with extinction, among them the rare and beautiful swallowtail. It’s illegal to catch handle or harm this butterfly, along with a handful of other ‘fully protected’ species, without a licence, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Many others are ‘partially protected’ meaning they can’t be sold, dead or alive. 68 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2023 | No 225
One of the best ways we can help these beautiful creatures is to plant nectar-rich flowers in our garden. Buddleia, also known as the butterfly bush, is the number one recommended plant for attracting them, with its long racemes of purple flowers providing an abundance of summer nectar. These plants are easy to grow to the extent that they will grow just about anywhere – in cracks in a wall or on railway embankments, and also tolerate hard pruning if they get too large. Lots of varieties are available, including smaller ones suitable for containers. Deadhead regularly so the flowers keep coming, and so will the butterflies. The flat pink flowerheads of Sedum spectabile provide a good landing spot and all-important autumn nectar, which helps butterflies build up their reserves for over-wintering. Spring is also an important time, when they come out of hibernation, and will appreciate wallflowers, apple blossom and grape hyacinths. Naturally occurring wild flowers and plants are also important, as they’ll provide a succession of nectar through the year. If you have the space, then strips of meadow will help to provide nectarrich plants. Think too about breeding grounds and food for caterpillars. A patch of nettles will do the job, along with holly, ivy, thistles, docks and sorrels. Avoid using insecticides and pesticides, which kill many pollinating insects, including butterflies and their larvae. Allow fallen fruit to remain on the ground for late-summer butterflies such as the red admiral and painted lady, who enjoy feeding on rotting pears, apples and plums. Butterflies have always embodied transformation and change, because of their mysterious and miraculous life cycle of metamorphosis, and as such have long been the subject of folklore