Butterflies in our gardens and parks

First there was the Big Bird Count, and now there butterfly counting, Friday 16th July and until Sunday 8th Augustwith all the information here … Big Butterfly Count. The website and app will remain open throughout August so that you can continue to submit your counts.

Karen Goldie-Morrison, Butterfly Conservation’s Chair of Council says in the charity’s latest magazine: ‘I set out each week expectant of what I’ll find flying, and I hope to log at least the usual 27 butterfly species over the season. Such a tally in an urban area will be no surprise to those who have been developing Big City Butterflies at Butterfly Conservation … it will focus on increasing biodiversity in suburban and urban areas; many widespread species are no longer abundant – encouraging their return in greater numbers has to be celebrated.’

Also, Friends of Holland Park are sponsoring a virtual talk by Andrew Wood about how butterflies and moths are faring in London. It will be on Thursday 16th July, 6.30pm - 8pm. Click here to book a spot … virtual butterfly talk

One more thing, Anthony McCluskey an RHS qualified gardener who works for Butterfly Conservation, says plants to keep butterflies happy in mid-to-late-summer include Eupatorium, Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, Eryngium, Scabious, Cardoon, Echinacea and open-flowered Dahlias. Late-flowering Asters and window box herbs … lavender, thyme, oregano and mint. Common ivy (also known as English ivy) also flowers in very late summer and is one of the few native plants to flower so late. McCluskey says in Butterfly Conservation magazine: ‘Ivy has been unfairly maligned as a plant that kills trees (not true – some trees even suffer if the ivy around them is cut), but in fact it is useful in myriad ways.’