How NOT to create a butterfly garden
Learning through observation, and putting the "client" first
This is the first post in my mini-series on butterfly gardening. You can find it, and more on our native butterflies in The Butterfly Garden archives.
I had a butterfly garden planned for a spot just outside our large dining room window. I thought it was perfect: all day sun, dry-ish soil that wildflowers thrive in, and of course a view from the house. I had NOT factored in the gusty nor-westerlies, the lack of tree cover, or the fact that it backs on to my neighbour’s driveway (if I was a butterfly, I wouldn’t like car exhaust or weed spray much either).
The space was about 5x5 metres (16x16 feet) and mostly grass. There were some trees just on the boundary between our neighbour’s driveway and our garden. The neighbours asked us if they could get the trees cut down, offered to pay, and let us keep the wood. We were just getting the garden started so we took them up on their offer and ended up with a lovely pile of woodchip to get us going.
I thought a butterfly garden would be something colourful to look out upon, and something I could do that would have tangible impact on the environment. I was also hoping that layers of flowers and shrubs would act like a filtered privacy screen.
But, with growing despondency and frustration, I saw the butterflies flutter gracefully over the butterfly garden to enjoy the dandelions and yarrow growing in our unmown lawn - or even to bask on the walls of our house! The bumblebees, hoverflies, and spiders seemed to like it so I gave up on the idea of a “butterfly garden” and pretended that I really wanted it to be a pollinator garden all along!
That was in the summer of 2020. Like everyone else, our lives were turned upside down with Covid-19 and consequential lockdowns. I chipped away at developing the garden but didn’t attempt another dedicated space for them. However, I did spend a lot more time in the garden (and had learnt HEAPS more about butterflies) so I had a better idea of what they needed.
Then last year my husband was re-jigging the front garden and found some old railway sleepers he wanted to move. I took the opportunity to use them in a second attempt at a butterfly garden, armed with my new knowledge and observations.
This time, I placed it down the back of our garden. It’s a very sheltered spot, and while it’s shady in the morning, it gets the last rays before the sun sets in the evening. I’d seen butterflies basking there in previous seasons (and also on the mature trees that surrounded the area). There are a couple of plum trees which I’d seen kahukura feeding on in early springtime, and there was zero chance of catching any drift from neighbours (or the council) spraying weeds.
I had forgotten to do anything to the soil, which was heavy and compacted, after weeding out the grass. Combined with a cool spring, most of the seeds I sowed failed to germinate and grow. I wasn’t ready to give up, though! I let the dandelions and catsears take over, moved some yarrow in from our meadow, and some thyme in from our herb garden. These did okay, and I did another sowing of Butterfly Field seed mix at the very end of summer in a last-ditch attempt. Some of these have grown and flowered, so I am hopeful for more success next summer.
Despite this, I am officially calling the butterfly garden a success. I quickly discovered that a sunny, sheltered spot is not just good for the butterflies, but it’s also good for me. I would sit there in the afternoons and work on my garden memoir even in the strongest gales. Last spring, as I was writing, I looked up and saw a kahukura (New Zealand red admiral butterfly) perched on the edge of the butterfly garden bed. It felt like a seal of approval that I had done a good job - this time!
Since then, I have seen more butterflies enjoying the garden and the space around it: a kahukura feeding on the plum blossoms that overhang the garden; another flitting between the yarrow and the plum latter in summer; kahuku (monarchs) and kahukōwhai (yellow admirals) basking on the horse chestnut tree behind the butterfly garden; kahukōwhai resting on the railway sleeper edging.
In preparation for next summer I will be planting more host plants (swan plants for the kahuku, nettles for the kahukura & kahukōwhai, ragwort for the magpie moths, clover for the blues, and muehlenbeckia for the coppers). I’ve also taken my own advice and bought some more hebes to support the native wildlife with some sweet native nectar.
You might also like…
Create Butterfly Habitat Course - an online course by the Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust
Over-Wintering Parks in New Zealand - a list of parks where you can see monarchs using trees for their winter resting period
Butterfly Guide - an article on planting for butterflies by Tui Garden
Great work!
Love it!