What are the best wild flowers to grow in my grassy wild patch? I had a speckled butterfly hatch out and would like to encourage more. I have large white butterflies that visit my garden, I also have a lot of small white ones which I think are cabbage butterflies. I don't grow cabbages!
Garlic mustard, ladies smock, violets and honesty will all grow in your grass and attract the orange tip and green-veined white to lay their eggs, and remember a clump of nettles in a sunny spot is invaluable. Small tortoiseshell, peacock, painted lady,red admiral and comma will all lay on nettles.
I cannot believe that you have a cuprinol advert on the same page as the loss of butterflies...chemical preservatives kill insects, all part of the chain.
I'm afraid I have seen none at all in Ireland this year and I have planted a buddeia especially but nothing. I really hope that as with alot of things in the garden this 2011, the butterflies are just a little late!
Although we have a good range of butterfly friendly plants in our garden we have noticied a decline in numbers. If all gardens had several nectar rich plants that flower thoughout the butterfly breeding season, not just the summer but through to Autumn too we could make a difference.
Another gardening tip - If you Buddleias growing in the wrong place please leave them until after they've flowered before cutting back after all your garden is a living space for all living creatures to enjoy, it's not just for the pleasure of us humans.
I live in SE London and have noticed more butterflies in the garden this year. I have been more conscious of planting plants that are attractive to butterflies and bees, so it could possibly be because of this. Or maybe it's down to me just being more observant and noticing them more.
Early this morning when I took my dog out there was a very pretty delicate pale green butterfly sitting on my gate and it was there several hours later. I could not see it on the GW chart and tried to Google it but have not been able to identify it. It did not seem to have any markings at all. Can anyone tell me what it might be? It was so lovely that I kept going out in the rain to look at it.
This sounds like a Scarce Silver Lines which is not really scarce. Its colour fades if exposed to light which would happen on your gate, Josephine. They are usually found in oak woods. The colour of the Large Emerald fades after death also and its habitat is birch woods. So was yours dead or dying , large or small?
Thank you happymarion [I always look forward to your commments] It was large and might have been dying as it clung to the side of the solid black gate - still moving but gradually moved down to the bottom of the gate. I think it must have eventually flown off as there was no sign of it when I last checked six hoours later
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If all gardens had several nectar rich plants that flower thoughout the butterfly breeding season, not just the summer but through to Autumn too we could make a difference.
Another gardening tip - If you Buddleias growing in the wrong place please leave them until after they've flowered before cutting back after all your garden is a living space for all living creatures to enjoy, it's not just for the pleasure of us humans.
I do have a clumb of nettles, I was going to cut it down, it will stay now its is a small patch!