The Butterfly Garden, which was planted out in June 2022, is now in full bloom and performing its purpose beautifully - attracting plenty of butterflies and other pollinating insects, such as bees, beetles, flies, thrips and moths.

Many plants depend on pollinating insects in order to produce seeds. Pollen is made by the male organs of a plant, and often needs help to spread to the female organs of the same plant, or another plant of the same species, to produce seeds. This is where wind, water and pollinating insects come in. It is estimated 65% of all pollination in flowering plants occurs via insects. Pollination is extremely important in agriculture, particularly when it comes to fruits, vegetables, textile-related fibres and medicinal products.

To attract pollinating insects, plants have become very clever - using visual and scent cues to direct insects like an aeroplane landing strip. The relationship between plants and insects is usually mutually beneficial, and insects often rely on pollen too.

Designed by former Natural Environment and Parks Manager Tim Rowe, most of the species in the Butterfly Garden were chosen as they are readily available, therefore making the garden easy to replicate at home. Species that feature in the garden include:

Achilleas

Agapanthus Purple Cloud

Agastache Sweet Lili

Ajuga Cailtlin's Giant

Nepeta Walker's Blue

Centrathus Ruber

Deschampsia (Pixie Fountain Grass)

Echinacea purpurea

Festuca 'Elijah Blue' (Blue Fescue)

Limonium perezii (Statice)

Lavendar 'Grosso'

Leucanthemum superbum (Shasta Daisy)

Calamagrostis acutifolia (Feather Reed Grass)

Nepeta "Walkers Low"

Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass)

Rudbeckia fulgida var deamii (Black-eyed Susan)

Salvia Anthony Parker

Salvia Black and Bloom

Santolina champaecyparissus (Lavendar Cotton)

Scaveola 'Mauve Clusters' (Fan Flower)

Stachys 'Big Ears' (Lamb's Ears)

Sedum 'Autumn Joy'

Sedum 'Dark Magic'

Sedum 'Matona'

Verbena bonariensis

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