Butterfly Gardening

Butterflies, like many animals and insects, are in serious decline. So I'm making this guide for those who wish to aid butterflies and bees in particular but also whilst helping many other creatures.

Habitat

Butterflies will like a warm spot to sunbath and although I hate pavement it's actually ideal to have a small spot for them to relaxe and spread their wings.
Having water in the garden, even a small bird bath can also help make your garden ideal.
If you can allow a small part of your garden to grow into a mini wilderness, letting the grass grow tall and plants grow at their own free will.

Food For Butterflies

Spring - Aubretia, Bluebell, Clover, Cuckooflower, Daisy, Dandelion, Forget-me-not, Honesty, Pansey, Primrose, Sweet Rocket and Wallflower.

Summer/Autumn - Buddleija, French Marigold, Sedum Spectabile, Ivy, Knapweed, Lavender, Majoram, Michaelmas Daisy, Mint, Red Valerian, Scabious and Thyme.

Even if you do not have a large garden, or even no garden at all, if you have access to a pot for a window edge you can plant much needed flowers for butterflies and bees.

Food for Catterpillars

It's all well providing food for the adults but if you don't feed the young then yur effort won't have much affect in the long run.

Stinging Nettles, Holly, Ivy, Buckthorn, Cuckooflower, Garlic Mustard, Hop, Common Bird-Foot-Trefoil, Cabbage.

Be Green and Environmentally Friendly

Peat bogs are habitats of the rare Large Heath Butterfly, as well as many other special anomals and plants. Companies are destroying these to make peat for garden compost so if possible avoid buying peat compost, their are alternatives available. Also avoid pesticides and herbicides. The natural world has it's own ways of keeping balance, pests being kept in control. By using pesticides we end up killing many other creatures we didn't mean to target. Use natural and humane methods to rid pests.