The wildlife garden

June

Don't let butterflies flutter.by!

The butterfly border caters for bees and hover-flies as well as butterflies - creatures which not only look and sound nice but also help with pollination and pest control. Here are a few pointers:

• Choose a sunny site with well-drained soil.

• Choose a wide variety of species.

• Aim to create a long flowering season - at least May to September - to encourage overwintering species to stay. Michaelmas daisies are a perfect choice for the early autumn border.

• Buddleja really is the butterfly bush! Paler varieties such as the hybrid "Lochinch" and the yellow variety Buddleja x Wcycriana are the preferred choices.

• Herbs - good for you and your butterflies! Hyssop, lavender, rosemary and sweet marjoram are particularly good.

Food plants for caterpillars

• Nettles - for peacocks, red admiral, comma, small tortoiseshell and painted lady.

• Buckthorn for brimstone.

• Honesty for orange - tip.

• Nasturtiums (yes, and cabbages!) for the whites.

• Bird's-foot trefoil for common blue.

• Holly, dogwood and ivy for holly blue.

• Native grasses cater for lots of the brown butterflies - ringlet, meadow brown and gatekeeper, for example.

Meadows

Meadows are ideal habitats for both butterflies and caterpillars. The best time to sow a meadow is in the autumn - details in the next Wild Cornwall.

Other jobs to do this month

Now's a good time for weeding out unwanted species, but remember -dock, thistle, bindweed and couch grass should not go on the compost heap if you want to be rid of them.

July

Think water conservation

Here are just a few ideas to save water in the garden:

• A soak once a week is better than a shower every day!

• Avoid a sprinkler if you possibly can - it uses a huge amount of water, much of which evaporates before it can do any good.

• Water in the evening or early morning.

• After watering, keep it in! Apply mulch to plants -newspaper, cardboard or old carpet are ideal.

• Grey water recycling - use washing-up and washing machine water on your garden (be sure to use environmentally friendly detergents).

• Collect run-off from your home, sheds and greenhouses. Ask your local council if it provides reduced-cost water butts - many do.