Beautiful Butterflies

Special habitats

Consider incorporating specific habitats for different types of creatures such as bee houses, butterfly gardens, and hummingbird feeders. By doing this it will make your garden more attractive to pollinators and provide them with a better environment.

So there you have it! Creating a pollinator-friendly garden is a simple approach to helping pollinator animals. You can support the environment by providing a variety of food supply, clean water, shelter, and particular habitats. So get out there and start gardening for pollinators this summer!

@nature_nurture_life_

Watching a butterfly float over the garden fence and dance amongst the flowers is a highlight of my summer in the garden.

Seeing these beautiful, colourful insects drinking nectar from the plants I have nurtured from seed brings me more joy than the pretty flowers they sit on. There are 59 different types of butterfly in the U.K. and each one requires a different plant to complete its life cycle. Buddleia is a favourite of butterflies but is an invasive species. Instead you could try bluebells, lavender, red-campion or cornflowers.

If you have fruit trees, leave the fallen fruit. In latesummer the red admiral and painted lady will feed on the fruit juices of over-ripe pears, plums and apples.

No gardeners favourite, but Nettles are a vital food source for the caterpillars of the small tortoiseshell, red admiral, peacock, comma and painted lady.

We have all heard about planting for pollinators, but not all of us plant for their larval. Caterpillars themselves are not well liked as they can decimate our crops – but, if we can move them, or better still, leave them be, we will be rewarded with more beautiful butterflies year on year.

by Rachel Locke @grow_with_the_griffiths