Making gardens better for butterflies

Western Daily Press, Jul 28, 2010

 
People with a passion for butterflies can learn about plants that appeal to the colourful insects at as part of Save Our Butterflies week.

The Wyevale Garden Centre in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire, is creating displays and offering advice to people to help attract butterflies to their gardens, and has 300 guides on British butterflies to give away free.

This week visitors can chat to staff and learn about plants such as Buddleia davidii – known as the “butterfly bush”. Wyevale manager Paul Hodges said: “Butterfly Conservation’s Save Our Butterflies Week represents seven days devoted to celebrating British butterflies and promoting ways to stop their decline.

“We’re delighted to be helping raise awareness for the organisation. Butterflies are very important to gardeners because they feed on flower nectar and as they do, they transfer pollen on their bodies and legs from one plant to another.” Dr Martin Warren, chief executive of Butterfly Conservation, said: “I am delighted Wyevale Thornbury Garden Centre is working with us to help raise awareness of the importance of butterflies.

“I hope together we can encourage the public to take up butterfly- friendly gardening.”

Butterfly lovers can also take part in a butterfly count, by counting the number seen during 15 minutes over the week. For details, visit www.bigbutterflycount.org.

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