The butterfly garden is the only formal part of the wildlife area. It is the one area that we can leave the realm of 'native species are best', and choose from a great range of both exotic and native species - many of which are very beautiful garden flowers in their own right - to produce a continuous supply of nectar throughout the season. Nectar is the major food source for butterflies.

The caterpillars of butterflies and moths are fussy about what they eat, so the best way to provide for them is to grow a variety of native trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers. These needs are catered for by the rest of the wildlife area. Nettles are very desirable because they are a food for the caterpillar of several species.

The butterfly garden was made by placing a mound of soil in a sunny corner. The soil to do this came partly from the bog area and partly from removal of top soil from the meadow. It is sheltered on one side by the new hedge and on the other by an old beech hedge. The soil was placed in May 2001 and the area left until March 2002. Over this period it was regularly weeded. In March it was levelled, had black cloth liner placed over it and then 3 tons of gravel was added. The aim of this was to reduce maintenance of the area by preventing weed establishment. Large rocks were also added to provide sun bathing places for the butterflies. In May 2002, a selection of nectar rich plants and shrubs were added. Some of these are listed below.