My heart is full of love for butterflies, so I’m encouraging everyone to take part in Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count, which starts on Friday 17th July 2026 and runs until Sunday 9th August 2026.
If you’re visiting the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show (or watching the television coverage) this week, look out for Plant Heritage who will be unveiling their first ever Chelsea Garden when this prestigious Flower Show opens to the public on 19th May 2026! At the show, you can also meet the Plant Heritage team inside the Great Pavilion on stand GP088, selling seeds collected by National Collection holders and Plant Heritage Members.
The buttered and burnished tones of falling leaves and ethereal, early morning mists enhance the beauty of our autumnal gardens and landscapes. Autumn is an evocative and reflective time, it’s the ideal moment to consider how we might improve our gardens for the future.
Is your fence looking like it lost a battle? Will your wobbly fence survive winter gales? Have you considered replacing your fences with a hedge?
The State of the UK’s Butterflies 2022 report found that 80% of butterfly species in the UK have decreased in either their abundance or dispersal, or both their profusion and distribution, since 1976. This statement is deeply alarming.
Hearing about wildlife’s decline can leave us with feelings of overwhelming sadness and helplessness, but for me it poses the question, what can we do to help butterflies?
I’ve been so busy this week, but whenever I’ve been able to get outside and take a 15 minute Big Butterfly Count – I have taken a break and made the most of this lovely chance to relax and observe butterflies. I adore the Big Butterfly Count! Every year I look forward to this event, as I find taking a Big Butterfly Count is inspiring and relaxing, and just such a wonderful thing to do.
Butterfly Conservation report that in the UK, long-term trends show that 80% of our butterfly species have decreased in abundance or distribution – or both – since the 1970s. Do you see many butterflies and moths in your garden? I hope to inspire everyone to help butterflies and moths. Please don’t allow any pesticides, insecticides, or herbicides to be used on your garden, allotment, or indeed on any area in your locality, as these products obliterate our bees, butterflies, and moths.
I adore spending time immersed in nature, studying plants and butterflies. Today I wanted to tell you about the Big Butterfly Counts I’ve taken at Bookham Common, in Surrey.
Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count runs from Friday the 17th July 2020 until Sunday 9th August 2020 – so you still have plenty of time to join in and enjoy taking your own Butterfly Count!
