Celebrate the beauty of butterflies

Celebrate the beauty of butterflies as the glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley fills with brilliantly- coloured insects for its annual Butterflies in the Glasshouse event (www.rhs.org.uk/wisley).

Butterflies

The huge tropical glasshouse at the garden becomes home to more than 6000 exotic butterflies, free-flying around visitors as they walk through palms, cycads, banana plants and philodendrons.

There are more than 50 different species on display, fifteen of them never before seen at Wisley. While you’re there, learn about their fascinating lifestyles, get up close to caterpillars and use microscopes to look at the beautiful wings on display in the interactive Education Zone.

It’s a timely reminder that butterflies have been having a hard time lately, what with a changing climate and dwindling habitat. Three-quarters of British butterflies are now in decline, according to the charity Butterfly Conservation, with four butterfly species becoming extinct over the last century.

RHS Garden Wisely

In our garden centre here in Pickering we’re keen to do our bit to help reverse the trend. So look out for ‘butterfly-friendly’ plants on sale, all with nectar-rich flowers butterflies will love, and wildflower seed for you to make your own meadow. Pop in and talk to us about how you can make your garden more butterfly-friendly: we’ll be happy to help.