Amateur Gardening – 29 June 2019

29 JUNE 2019AMATEUR GARDENING 17

Bring on the butterflies

Do your bit to help these pollinating beauties, says Ruth

I

AM sure we used to see many
more butterflies around the
garden than we do today. Even
pestilential cabbage white
butterflies seemed more numerous,
while red admirals, tortoiseshells and
peacocks were numerous enough not
to cause comment when they flew by.
You can do your bit to help buck
this depressing trend by sowing your
free packet of Mr Fothergill’s ‘Butterfly
Attracting Mixed Annuals’ seeds.
The seeds included in the mix are for
nectar-rich, colourful annuals that are

quick to germinate, so you should have

flowers within a few weeks. The tallest

reach 36in (90cm) and will look stunning

scattered among perennials growing in

your borders.

Sow them somewhere sheltered

and sunny, and once the seeds start to

germinate thin out any that are growing

on top of others. If you are running out of

room in your borders you can also sow

seeds in containers, and many of the

varieties are suitable for cutting and

arranging indoors – though don’t

deprive pollinators of too many blooms!

29: Beekeeping demonstration: RHS

Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Harrogate,

North Yorkshire HG3 1QB. ✆ 0203

176 5830,  rhs.org.uk/gardens/

harlow-carr

30: Rare Plant Fair, Sculpture By The

Lakes, Pallington Lakes, Dorchester,

Dorset DT2 8QU. ✆ 07720 637808,

 rareplantfair.co.uk

30: Plant Hunters’ Fair:

Cholmondeley Castle, Malpas,

Cheshire SY11 4JH. ✆ 01829 720383,

 planthuntersfairs.co.uk

July 1: Free gardening advice for

RHS members: RHS Harlow Carr

2-7: Hampton Court Palace Garden

Festival: Hampton Court, East

Molesey, Surrey KT8 9AU. ✆ 0203

176 5830,  rhs.org.uk

3: Creating beautiful borders: RHS

Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge

Lane, Rettendon, Chelmsford, Essex

CM3 8ET. ✆ 0203 176 5830,

 rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall

3: Little Acorns children’s gardening:

RHS Garden Hyde Hall

3: Garden walk – gardening for

bees, butterflies and birds: RHS

Harlow Carr

4: Late-night opening (live music,

bring a picnic): RHS Harlow Carr

5: Free gardening advice for RHS

members: RHS Harlow Carr

6: Summer Flower Arrangement:

RHS Garden Hyde Hall

6-7: Meet the Experts – Clematis:

RHS Harlow Carr

7: Plant hunters’ fair: Sugnall Walled

Garden, Eccleshall, Staffs ST21 6NF.

✆ 01785 851711,

8: Free gardening advice for RHS

members: RHS Harlow Carr

■ Send details and images of

events to [email protected]

■All details are subject to change without our knowledge,

so please check that the event is still going ahead before

leaving home.

Things to

do near you

Hampton Court Palace Garden

Festival takes place from 2-7 July

What’s

on

Butterfl y fl owers are easy to grow

Attract garden butterfl ies

with these bright annuals

ring on the butterflies

Help bring back

the butterfl ies

1

Choose a sunny patch of free-

draining soil, weed it and remove

stones and debris, then rake to a fine,

crumbly tilth.

3

Scatter the seeds as thinly as

possible over the soil. You can

thin seedlings later if they are too

close together.

2

Always water the ground well,

ideally with fresh tap water, as this

will help soften hard seed cases and

promote germination.

4

Carefully rake a thin layer of soil

back over the seeds and label the

sowing area so you don’t disturb

it when gardening.

Free

seeds