Butterfly Conservation Half Price Membership Offer

/ David Marsden

Who wouldn’t want to see more butterflies in their garden?  (I’ll ignore the gentleman at the back, raising his hand).

Painted Lady
Clouded Yellow
Meadow Brown
Common Blue
Humming-bird Hawk-moth
Peacock
Small White Wave Moth
Red Admiral
Angle Shades Moth
Small Tortoiseshell
Comma

(Just some of the moth and butterfly species in ‘my’ gardens)

Well, they’re really quite easy to attract.  For example, you could plant cabbages: you’ll get flurries of cabbage whites.  Not what you had in mind?  Then simply plant nectar rich flowers.  (In the above photos, six different butterflies are feeding on Verbena bonariensis – a great food source).   And if you have the space leave an area of garden wild: both small tortoiseshell and peacock caterpillars feed on nettles.

Eyed Hawk-moth

Eyed Hawk-moth

And another way of helping to increase both moth and butterfly numbers is by joining the charity Butterfly Conservation – one of the largest insect conservation organisations in the world.  Until 31st May 2015, and to herald the onset of spring, Butterfly Conservation are offering half price membership.  Under this offer, single membership for the first year is just £1.25 per month.   For that you’ll help conserve endangered species and their habitat; and add your voice to various campaigns on wider environmental issues.  As a member you’ll receive a pack of butterfly-food flower seeds and all this too:

  • Member only gardening book written by Kate Bradbury
  • A welcome pack with membership card, set of collectable postcards and useful information
  • Butterfly magazine three times a year, packed with fascinating features and stunning photos
  • Essential advice on gardening for butterflies and moths
  • Regular e-newsletters with the latest news, info and offers
  • Membership of your local branch, with regular newsletters
  • Invitations to local guided walks, talks, conservation action days and social events

To join, click on this link – Butterfly Conservation Website – and enter the code GARDEN1550.

Oh, almost forgot – you get a free car sticker too.

24 thoughts on “Butterfly Conservation Half Price Membership Offer”

    • Excellent. Good for you! I joined last year and have been very impressed by BC. Their website is very useful for id’ing butterfly and moth species as well (should’ve mentioned that in the post, actually). I figure just to get one new member is marvellous … so thank you. Dave

      Like

      Reply

  4. How do you tell the difference between a moth (yes, they fly around during the day and bring you aphids) and a Butterfly? I would like to not encourage the moths.

    Like

    Reply

    • There are certain moths I’m sure you’d like to encourage, Sheri. Like the humming-bird hawk-moth above. They are beautiful and fascinating to watch. And there are many day flying moths that are large and beautifully coloured. Both moths and butterflies are part of the family lepidoptera and so there isn’t actually much difference between them. There are some anatomical differences such as the antennae and how they hold their wings but butterflies are only diurnal. Dave p.s. What’s that about bringing aphids?

      Like

      Reply

      • There’s a very small cream colored moth insect that flies around during the day that all the gardeners swear is a bringer of aphid. It looks like the female winged Soybean aphid.They tend to lay on sweet fruit trees (apple, cherry and plum), cabbage, broccoli & Pak Choy. In my backyard food garden I keep a “dipping bucket” going all spring and summer. It has mild dish detergent & Tee Tree oil in it. When I find an area of infestation I just gently wash the branch & removed damaged leaves or if it’s a low garden plant just prune the aphid cluster and submerge into the bucket. My fruit trees are almost 5 years old now so I’m a bit protective of them especially when it come to apple maggot. I grow some herbs in my front yard but the rest of the plants are perennial Iris, hydrangea, rose and so on and I never treat anything in the front yard. So Mother Nature can have at it out there.

        Like

        Reply

        • I’m fairly certain no moth physically carries aphids. Why would they need to? Aphids have wings of their own after all. But you’re talking about species I have no experience of and so I’ll shut up!! I like the idea of your bucket. I had an aphid infestation on a cardoon a couple of years ago but within a few days, ladybirds descended and hoovered them all up. That was so very impressive. Dave

          Like

          Reply

  8. I joined a couple of years ago. To be honest the full price membership isn’t expensive so I’d encourage anyone thinking of joining not to scrimp; paying the full membership fee means that Butterflies are only going to benefit more!

    Like

    Reply

Any thoughts?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.