Gardening for Butterflies and Bees

You may have seen that this year's Butterfly Count showed a devastating fall in butterfly numbers. Its so bad that a UK Butterfly Emergency has been declared.
The details of the count are at https://butterfly-conservation.org/news-...45bdf23bce

I plan to grow more Butterfly flowers and food plants next year to do my bit for butterflies. 

This page has info on the best plants to grow https://butterfly-conservation.org/how-y...utterflies

The best plants for nectar are:-
Buddleia
Verbena Bonariensis
Lavender
Perennial wallflower (Bowles Mauve)
Marjoram/Oregano

There's a more detailed list of plants to download and a list of food plants. 

This is going to be one of my projects for 2025. Will you join me?

I saw the results and unfortunately am not surprised. After witnessing the small numbers here.
I’m pleased to say I’m growing everything on your list., not sure I’m growing the right variety of wallflowers though. Will look into this

I don't have any perennial wallflowers, but do grow the others.
I'm going to take some lavender cuttings, find some of the self seeded verbena bonariensis so that I can plant them together in a big clump and split the marjoram/oregano so that I can transplant it in other parts of the garden.
I saw two speckled wood butterflies today and I promised them flowers next year! Not sure what they like though?

You forgot cabbage, cauliflower ....

Funnily enough, the Large white butterflies were one of the few that increased their numbers!!

Here’s the full list of plant butterflies like.

   
   

I’ve just added my voice the the butterfly emergency.

I already have lots of the ones on the list, not the mauve perennial wallflower but do have a yellow one. I'll have to look to see whether butterflies like it. I fear im not likely to increase the number of plants though.

   

Butterfly Food Plants

I've made a list of the plants from the lists above, that I want to grow for next year.
Lungwort/Pulmonaria
Sweet William
Candytuft
Cardoon
Catmint
Cornflower
Cosmos
Gaillardia
Hyssop
Phlox
Scabious
Phacelia
Sea Holly/Eryngium
Sunflower
Teasel
Vipers Bugloss/Echium Vulgare
Wallflower
Lathyrus latifolius /perennial sweetpea
Nasturtium

I'm sure I have seeds for most of these.

There’s a few things missing in my garden from the list. Like you I have seeds for quite a few of them. But there’s a couple I know I need.