THE OBJECTIVES

NUCLEUS. Apart from the sheer delight of having a garden full of these beautiful creatures going about their business, there is a serious conservation issue at hand, more so with this new garden set amongst the pre-described wildlife wilderness. The idea is that we create a nucleus of highly suitable habitat for them to colonise, so that no matter what happens in the surrounding countryside, there will always be this nucleus of suitable habitat in our garden for them:

A HOME FOR BUTTERFLIES in fact.

PROPERLY DESIGNED AND MAINTAINED. At the end of the 2000 season we were already up to 18 breeding species, only one short of the Derbyshire total. A few of these species differ between the two localities but generally they are similar. Over the last few years the Brown Argus has unexpectedly made a home here, and since the woodland areas have developed the Speckled Wood has also taken up residency. It is also pleasing to note that the nationally threatened Wall Brown and Small Copper are holding their own here. There are three main differences between the Derbyshire and Lincolnshire gardens: 1. The Lincolnshire one is flat, the Derbyshire one was on a steep north-west facing hillside. 2. There is no ready made mature woodland garden at this one. 3. Things grow like triffids here in view of the very rich arable soil! Both gardens are an acre in size, and as before, our butterfly garden is not just a garden full of nectar plants to entice passing butterflies: it is a properly designed and maintained mini habitat for them to breed and thrive in. To find out just how we go about it, read on...