Wildlife Gardening Forum

17/09/2026

Big Butterfly Count results 2026

The results of Butterfly Conservation’s 2026 Big Butterfly Count have revealed it was a great summer for butterflies, but what comes next could be dire.

With the Met Office confirming it ‘increasingly likely’ to be the hottest summer on record, August saw the UK’s National Drought Group declare more than 70% of England officially in drought, with almost all of the UK experiencing drier than usual conditions.

Butterfly Conservation now fears that the real cost of this summer’s extreme weather may not be felt until next year, when drought-stressed caterpillars should be emerging as adults.

Read more here https://butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blog/big-butterfly-count-results-2026-heatwaves-help-butterflies-but-could-kill

Don’t forget to read our pages on how to improve your garden for butterflies and moths here: https://wlgf.org/gardening-for-wildlife/attracting-different-wildlife-groups/attracting-insects/how-to-improve-your-gardenfor-butterflies-and-moths/

12/09/2026

The trend this year seems to be making a pond in a pot, something we know all about here at the Wildlife Gardening Forum, and Kate Garrway has highlighted it in the recent Ideal Home Magazine, for a how to guide, check out our website for an easy and detailed way to do this in your garden no matter the size. www.wlgf.org/gardening-for-wildlife/creating-garden-habitats/creating-water-habitats/how-to-make-a-pond-in-a-pot/

22/08/2026

The Wildlife Gardening Forum are delighted to assist Plimsoll Studios again, to help them find gardens to be featured in their next natural history series !

With an audience of over 175,000 people - you are the perfect wildlife gardeners to showcase just what is done out there for wildlife in whatever space you have!

We are really looking forward to seeing some of your gardens on tv !!

To apply, click the link below, or to simply get in touch and find out more...

[email protected]

(please note, there is no AI content in this post, this was typed by a human)

24/07/2026

The Comma butterfly, instantly recognisable by it's scallop edged wings, is making a return in southern Britain after something of a decline. For the wildlife gardener wanting to attract this beautiful butterfly, the Common Nettle is the perfect foodplant, but they are also partial to a little rotting fruit, so that banana in the bottom of fruit bowl is perfect!

The caterpillar, cleverly disguised as bird droppings is perfectly camoflaged in the leaf litter.

Read more about this butterfly on our website https://wlgf.org/wildlife/arthropods/insects/butterflies-and-moths/butterflies/vanessids/comma/

22/06/2026

Courtesy of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, here are some of the bumblebees that we should be seeing in the UK this month. Which ones have you seen, and what were they foraging on? Let us know in the comments!

And don't forget to look them up on our website too, where there is helpful advice on what to plant to attract them. 🐝🐝🐝 www.wlgf.org

14/06/2026

Have you read our latest website post ?

The butterfly recording community have christened this period the ‘June Gap’. According to the Butterfly Conservation Charity, “The June Gap is simply a coincidence of the timing of butterfly life cycles in the UK. By June, many of the double-brooded (bivoltine) species that commonly frequent ...

22/05/2026

What a lovely image, a bee, a bee house and the perfect plant for a bee - Verbena bonariensis, and what a way to celebrate world bee day 🐝 on Wednesday last week (when original post was published) Have you made or bought a bee hotel yet? Have a look at our website for a how to guide, perfect for creating that special place in your garden to support our wonderful bees!
https://wlgf.org/gardening-for-wildlife/attracting-different-wildlife-groups/attracting-insects/how-to-create-and-maintain-bee-hotels/ and while you're there, why not look for what plants to plant for bees too !
Photo Credit: Jennifer Hunter, WLGF FB Group

20/05/2026

Did you know that woodlice are terrestrial crustaceans? They have many common names, often distinctly regional, such as slaters, pillbugs, sowbugs, cheeselogs, chiggy pigs and grammerzows. What do you call them?

Find out more on our website https://wlgf.org/wildlife/arthropods/crustaceans/woodlice-and-landhoppers/

Photo credit: Catherine Jenkins, Wildlife Gardening Forum FB Group

10/05/2026

Wildlife Gardening Forum Group Member and Admin Maggie
planted Kidney Vetch, Anthyllis vulneraria, a few years
ago to try and attract Small Blue butterflies as it's the
sole food plant for their larvae. But she didn't have
much luck, although it's loved by bees and she'd seen
Brimstone and Small + Large White butterflies feed
from it.

Then finally she noticed a female Holly Blue butterfly
fluttering around the one in a pot on the patio for a
good while. Firstly, she nectared on the flowers which
are only just starting to open, and then - she began
laying eggs 😁

Kidney Vetch isn't it's typical larval food plant but I've
since learned that two people have posted elsewhere
about other plants they've seen them laying eggs on
recently - a Californian Lilac, and Sainfoin - a type of
legume plant. They are adapting it seems. Photo credit:
Maggie Zebroski, Wildlife Gardening Forum FB Group

08/05/2026

Who's seen a Holly Blue this year? I know I have! The Holly Blue is very common in gardens, but is also in parks, hedgerows and woodlands, taking nectar from brambles, Holly, Ivy, Forget-me-not, buttecups and thistles, although they do prefer honeydew from aphids ! Have a read of the bio on them, and many other butterflies on our website:

The 4 garden species include members of the subfamilies the coppers, which are red/brown in colour, and the blues which are mainly metallic blue in colour, but one species (and one female) are predominately brown. The 5 hairstreaks are not normally found in gardens.