Butterfly-Friendly Gardening

How To Make Your Garden a Haven For Winged Wildlife

Imagine a garden without butterflies, how much less a place it would be. Yet UK based charity Butterfly Conservations butterfly and moth survey is painting a grim picture of declining butterfly and moth populations throughout the UK.

This decline is made all the worse as moths and butterflies act as environmental barometers, being highly sensitive to the health of the countryside as well as the environment, some may argue that their decline is indicative of our decline.

Over the last 50 years species have declined across the board both in terms species numbers as well as diversity. And it is not just a few rare species that we are on the brink of loosing here, as Butterfly Conservations research is showing that half of our native species are under serious threat.

Species Decline And Why

Research into butterfly numbers has shown that half of our 63 native and migrant visiting butterfly species are under serious threat and five have become extinct in the UK.

Pearl Bordered Fritillary have declined by 60% since 1970's.
High brown fritillaries have declined by 77% in the last 20 years.
70% of our semi-natural habitats have been eroded since 1940.

The major reason for butterfly decline can be blamed on one overriding cause: agricultural intensification of our once semi-natural farmland and forest. Over the last half century ever more efficient farming techniques have made once vibrant habitats such as traditional meadow and chalk downland no go zones for most invertebrates, of which butterflies and moths are perhaps the most obviously visible example. Ancient habitats such as traditional flower meadow have declined by 97% since 1940 alongside ancient woodland, down land grassland and peat bogs, and it is these habitats that many of our most troubled butterflies and moths require to survive.

On top of this there has been a steady loss of hedgerows and traditionally managed woodland which has been left to fall into decline, resulting in a loss of the coppice habitat and access tracks (or rides), both of which can recreate the 'woodland edge' effect which is so valuable to many butterflies.

I spoke with Richard Fox of Butterfly Conservation about how best gardeners can go about conserving butterflies and moths within their garden, helping protect this most precious and fragile of garden visitors.

Gardeners Doing Their Bit

Never before has the gardener had so good a reason to help our native wildlife nor so much potential to make a difference for our native butterfly and moth populations. With over 15 million gardens in the UK covering over 2 million Hectares of land there is great scope for gardeners to provide habitats in which many of our butterflies and moths, alongside many other declining native species, can take refuge. By creating mini nature reserves the gardener can protect species, which can then re-colonise a kinder countryside of the future.

Practical Steps That Will Attract Butterflies and Moths Into Your Garden

Even the smallest garden space can be used to provide much needed assistance to our beleaguered butterflies and moths, with even a small window box planted up with flowering herbs and bedding plants providing a much needed nectar fuel to passing visitors.

Providing a supply of nectar is essential for butterflies, which require regular feeds to keep up their hectic lifestyles. A mixture of bedding plants, shrubs and summer flowers will produce blossom throughout the spring and summer and into the autumn months. This makes sense for butterflies and the gardener alike: the secret is simple, if your garden is in flower then it is providing a free dinner for butterflies and moths. The majority of garden blossom appears in spring which helps butterflies emerging from hibernation, but think about late summer and early autumn flower colour which will provide much needed nectar on which butterflies can stock up on prior to winter hibernation.

Flower power: A Handful Of Plants and Gardening Techniques That Will Help Provide a Rich Source Of Nectar For Butterflies and Moths

Spring nectar: Aubretia, Wallflowers, forget-me-not.

Late summer/autumn: Buddleia, French marigold, Candytuft, Lavender, Stock, Michealmas Daisy, Marjoram, IvyThyme.

The best place to grow nectar rich plants is in a sunny sheltered spot where visiting butterflies can fly unhindered by wind, whilst making maximum use of warming sunshine. Also avoid 'double' flowering varieties as the production of a second set of showy petals is at the expense of nectar production. Well watered and cared for plants will produce more nectar. Also by pruning some spring flowering shrubs and flowers you will get more blossom later in the year, providing a much needed second feed for butterflies and moths.

Feed The Children

It is easy to forget that every butterfly was once a less glamorous, if hungry, caterpillar. Providing a food source for caterpillars is vital and often overlooked. A number of species are key food sources, these include the following:

Stinging nettles: they make look scruffy but nettles provide a valuable food source for caterpillar of the Peacock, comma, Red admiral and as well as several moths including Scarlet tiger and Spectacle. For best results cut back plants to ground in early summer to encourage new growth for a second generation of late summer butterflies.

Many butterflies rely on a their very own food source in order to breed. The Holly and the Ivy both provide a food source for the Holy Blue, and Buckthorn, which like holly can be integrated into a mixed native hedgerow, will provide a unique food source for the Brimstone butterfly.

There are a myriad of Grazing caterpillars that will get by on long grass. Caterpillars of the Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Small Skipper and Marbled White will all happily munch on most of our come grass species; however they prefer longer grass such as that found in wildflower meadow. To create meadow habitat simply leave out of the way areas of lawn to grow long, possibly inter-planting with wildflowers which will also provide a nectar source for adults once on the wing. Long grass areas can be strimmed at the end of summer, but always leave small areas of longer grass in which caterpillars can over-winter.

Ever wondered why some flowers are heavily scented? One reason is that scent will attract night feeding pollinators much more effectively than garish flower colour. As a result night scented honeysuckle and stocks will attract and feed night feeding moths.

No Place Like Home

Butterflies need habitat to survive over winter either in their pupa state or as hibernating adults. Butterflies, like much of our wildlife love the odd pile of garden 'rubbish' to take shelter in. By piling up woody clippings of branches you can provide a habitat for over wintering pupa. The ideal place for such habitat piles is in out of the way corners of the garden where wildlife can rest undisturbed. Cover provided by the inside of sheds and eves are also useful for over-wintering adults.

Use Green Products

Practises such as peat extraction and mining of limestone for rockeries damage the natural habitats of many butterflies. By avoiding peat and many rock based products you are protecting valuable habitats. Organic growing will also help, as most pesticides will kill butterflies and moths alongside other less glamorous garden inhabitants. Practices such inter-planting crops with flowers not only make vegetable growing areas look more attractive but also provide a food source for natural pest predators such as hover flies as well as butterflies, creating a greater natural balance in your garden.

Keeping Watch

Much of the data used by Butterfly Conservation to gauge the loss of our native butterfly and moth populations has been gathered by the great British public. If you would like to help Butterfly Conservation with their on going butterfly count (and in the process really get to know your butterflies) then write to them at:

Garden Butterflies Count
Butterfly Conservation
MELKSHAM
Wiltshire
SN12 7SB

© Matt Hewes
All articles are written by freelance horticulturist Matthew Hewes and can be re-printed or replicated by permission only. If you wish to use findmeplants copy on your website then this will be considered in exchange for a link and inclusion of the author’s name. Matthew Hewes works as a freelance garden writer and is happy to write gardening articles to order.

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