When you visualise butterflies, you think of beautiful, delicate and iridescent creatures that bring peace and tranquillity to your garden. But, when was the last time you saw a butterfly fluttering around your flowerbeds?
The reality is that of the 59 resident butterfly species that remain in Britain today, three quarters are in decline, which is why PlantforLife has joined forces with Butterfly Conservation to show you how easy it is to attract butterflies back into the garden.
British butterflies have been declining steadily for years. The new statistics show that recent wet summers have accelerated these declines. Heavy rain makes it hard for butterflies to survive - they can't fly in the rain and that means they can't reach the nectar they feed on. Rain also reduces breeding success.
Even the five most common garden butterflies, the Large White, Small White, Red Admiral, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell have seen their population fall, with numbers of the Small Tortoiseshell falling by 58 per cent since 1990.
Habitats have been destroyed on a massive scale, and now patterns of climate and weather are shifting unpredictably in response to pollution of the atmosphere.
How to create a butterfly haven
Whatever type of garden you have, from rolling acres to a compact container garden it is surprisingly easy to make it butterfly friendly. Remember, the greater the variety of plants with large, brightly coloured flowers you grow, the more butterflies will visit.
Celebrity gardener Chris Collins shares some simple ways you can attract butterflies into your garden.
- Butterflies love heavily scented flowers, so try planting Sedum spectabile, and Verbena bonariensis which can attract many of these charming insects into your garden.
- Plant shrubs and small trees such as Common Honeysuckle around the edges of your garden to provide shelter for butterflies, but ensure that your flower beds are in full sunlight.
- Make sure you plant a variety of flowers that are available from early spring to autumn. Plants such as Buddleja davidii "Harlequin" will give butterflies the fuel needed to keep them airborne.
- Change the way you think about your garden. Small numbers of caterpillars might turn into gorgeous butterflies, so don't get rid of them, instead imagine a butterfly in the late summer sun.
- Trim and prune your borders to allow more light into your garden which will encourage plants to grow.
- Palms, bamboos and box topiary might add to a contemporary look, but they won't attract butterflies. Leave some space for flowers which will add colour to your garden.
Butterfly Conservation's top tips on encouraging butterflies
- Keep caterpillars out of the veggie patch by planting brassica like Nasturtium as a diversion.
- The Buddleia is by far the best nectar plant - attracting 18 different butterfly species: Brimstone, Comma, Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Green-veined White, Holly Blue, Large Skipper, Large White, Meadow Brown, Painted Lady, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Copper, Small Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Spackled Wood and Wall Brown.
- Butterflies like warmth and shelter so position your nectar plants carefully in the garden.
- Butterflies visit garden's to drink nectar. Nectar is a butterfly's fuel that enables them to fly through cities and find suitable breeding habitat in the countryside. Your window box could be a lifeline to long distance fliers.
