When you visualise butterflies, you think of beautiful, delicate and iridescent creatures that bring peace and tranquillity to your garden. But, when was the last time you saw a butterfly fluttering around your flowerbeds?

The reality is that of the 59 resident butterfly species that remain in Britain today, three quarters are in decline, which is why PlantforLife has joined forces with Butterfly Conservation to show you how easy it is to attract butterflies back into the garden.

Even the five most common garden butterflies, the Large White, Small White,Red Admiral,Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell have seen their population fall, with numbers of the Small Tortoiseshell falling by 58 per cent since 1990. Whilst the majority of Britain’s butterflies are declining at
a rapid rate, the most worrying fact of all is that certain
butterfly species are heading for extinction. According
to the Butterfly Conservation, four of Britain’s
butterflies are on the road to extinction:

 

Loss of habitat remains the primary
cause for this decline, which means
green space is more important than
ever for butterflies’ survival and anyone
with a garden or even a window box
can help make a difference in
preserving these beautiful species.