UK households urged to do one task so butterflies will keep returning

If you want to see butterflies fluttering across your lawn all summer, make sure you complete this one simple task.

Encouraging butterflies in your garden is more crucial than ever, given that these beautiful creatures have sharply dropped in population in the UK.

According to the results of Butterfly Conservation's Big Butterfly Count, 2024 was one of the worst years on record for butterflies, making it the fifth-worst year since records began.

Conservation specialists now say that over half of butterfly species are in long-term decline. Fortunately, there are some ways that you can make your garden more butterfly-friendly - and it takes barely any time at all.

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According to Harry Bodell, a gardening expert from PriceYourJob.co.uk, having fresh blooms is key to keeping butterflies around your home. He said: “Butterflies need fresh flowers, as old ones have little to no nectar.”

He continued: “When you remove dead blooms from your flowers, known as deadheading, you free up energy and space for the plants to create new blossoms, meaning more nectar for butterflies.”

To deadhead flowers, Harry says that you first must remove the faded or wilted blooms from the plant. He explained: “Pinch or cut off the flower stem below the spent flower and just above the first set of full, healthy leaves.”

Don’t worry about what tools you have on hand. Harry adds that you can use your fingers, pruning shears, or scissors to do this.

As for what kinds of flowers you should plant in your garden, Harry suggests that butterflies are attracted to colourful blooms, such as red, orange, purple and yellow.

He added: “Other factors that will make plants appealing include sweet nectar, accessible shape, and scent. Some of the best flowers for attracting these pollinators to your garden are aster, lavender, milkweed, sage, and sunflowers.”

Equally, it's a good idea to plant perennial and annual plants. Perennials regrow every spring while annuals last just one growing season a year. This helps provide butterflies with a year-round variety of plants to feed on.

As for other ways to keep butterflies coming back to your garden, it can be helpful to reduce your mowing frequency. This is because butterflies prefer lawns with varying grass lengths.

Allowing your garden to grow more freely can create a far more diverse environment, which is ideal for butterflies. It can also allow other creatures to thrive.