How to help butterflies in Southwark

If you have a garden

BUILD: Create a shallow pond

Butterflies need ponds too! They use damp edges to drink minerals. They prefer a smaller, shallower pond, with nectar-rich flowers at the edge.  

👉 How to Guide: Wildlife trust guide to building a pond

PLANT: Grow nectar-rich flowers  

Butterflies like simple, open flowers to feed. Choose single-petal varieties if you can. Start with:

🪻Lavender

🌼 Oxeye daisy

🌸 Verbena

🌻 Single-flowered sunflowers 

👉 How to Guide: Butterfly Conservation’s gardening guide

SUPPORT: Let part of your garden grow wild

To help butterflies, you've got to help caterpillars too. They need plants to eat, and spaces to live. You can:

🌾 Grow native grass long - its a where butterflies lay eggs

🌿 Let nettles grow - they're a caterpillars' favourite food (you can get non-stinging varieties!)

❌ Avoid cutting everything back in autumn

If you have a balcony

BUILD: Add a large, deep planter with a trellis

Bigger pots (at least 30cm deep) retain moisture and allow deeper-rooted plants to thrive. Climbing plants increase nectar sources without taking up floor space. Add a small trellis to support:

🪻Honeysuckle 

🌼 Climbing Nasturtium 

PLANT: Grow nectar-rich plants in containers

Flowers grown in pots can provide vital nectar corridors for Butterflies. Mix flowers of different shapes, such as open petals and tubular. Try planting a mix of:

🪻Lavender

🌿 Marjoram  

🌷Heliotrope  

🌻 Dwarf sunflower  

👉 How to Guide: How to Plant a Wildlife Container or Pot for Butterflies 

SUPPORT: Provide shallow water

Butterflies drink from damp surfaces. Place a shallow saucer with pebbles to create safe access. Refresh regularly.