March is the real start to the growing season across the UK. While we still have the risk of frost for another month or two, now is the time when I begin to sow seeds and make real plans for the year ahead.
It’s also when most people see their first butterflies and moths of the year. The butterflies will be species that have spent the winter tucked away in dark places, mimicking dead leaves so that predators like birds cannot find them. If you look at the undersides of the wings of Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Comma you will notice that they are dark – this is part of their winter disguise! In England and Wales, you will also see the sulphur-yellow flash of Brimstone butterflies as they fly around the countryside and gardens.
We can help the first springtime butterflies by providing nectar-rich plants in springtime. My most reliable recommendation for an early nectar source is winter-flowering heather. This plant blooms for months between January and May, and on warm March days I can always find butterflies and queen bees on their pink or white hardy flowers. I grow these in my Wild Space in large planters and in the border, and they come back year after year with little care needed.
More moths also start to fly in March. There aren’t many night-scented flowers early in the year, but many species will take nectar from Willow, which I always consider as being one of the most useful plants in the garden. If you have a smaller garden, you can buy smaller varieties of willow such as Woolly Willow, ‘Kilmarnock Willow’ and others – just ask at your local garden centre or search for them online.
Now is also the time to start sowing annuals to bring your Wild Space to life in spring and summer. My recommendations for great annuals for butterflies and moths are:
· Cosmos – they come in different colour varieties and butterflies love them.
· Sunflowers – late-summer butterflies like Red Admiral and Peacock really appreciate the constant nectar supplies and birds will feast on the seeds in winter!
· Nasturtium – caterpillars of Large and Small White butterflies will feed upon the leaves and flowers, while bumblebees will gain nectar and pollen from them.
· Nicotiana – the beautiful night scent attracts larger moths with long tongues that can reach the nectar deep in the flowers.
For more inspiration on what to include in your Wild Space for spring and summer, visit our Info Hub – Wild Spaces
