The lucky few… on the wing and on the way back to our gardens

Last week I lifted a suspiciously holey leaf of a hop growing in my garden and found a plump comma butterfly caterpillar resting on the underside. I was, and continue to be, extremely pleased. That’s one more butterfly I can add to my “garden count”, that includes the small copper, large skipper, speckled wood and red admiral, and the first butterfly I can confirm is breeding in my garden. If you build it they really do come.

The comma butterfly is having a remarkable time of it. Despite suffering huge population crashes in the 20th century, in no small part due to a decline in hop farming, it’s enjoying quite the comeback, increasing in both abundance and distribution. It lays eggs on hops and nettles but the adults feed on nectar-rich flowers such as buddleia and oregano. For those of us in the South, it’s a common garden species and one we should look out for on our buddleias.

But perhaps more of us will see this beautiful butterfly in our gardens in the future. Traditionally a species of the Midlands and the South, it’s been steadily expanding northwards over the past 50 years. It reached Scotland at the turn of this century and has been working its way up the east coast ever since. A few weeks ago, it was recorded

The aptly named wall brown is found on walls and rocks near our coasts

After steep declines, the small tortoiseshell is mounting a fightback

Silver-washed fritillary Numbers have increased by 258 per cent since 1976. Despite being a woodland species, they can come into gardens and seem to like buddleia. “Generally speaking, it’s not an urban butterfly, but if you live near woodland you may be lucky”, says Dr Fox. It’s one of our biggest butterflies, so is hard to miss.

Hummingbird hawkmoth

This large, day-flying moth with a long proboscis resembles a hummingbird. A summer migrant from continental Europe, it can turn up anywhere, although records are more common in the South. In some regions it is now breeding. Favouring bedstraws, it has also been seen laying eggs on red valerian. Why not grow some and keep your fingers crossed?

Wall butterfly

This once common butterfly has suffered significant declines, particularly in the South. “It remains common around the coastal belt of Scotland”, says Dr Fox. Look out for it on coastal paths, particularly near walls, which is how it got its name.

Clouded yellow

A species of meadows and grasslands, you might spot this beautiful migrant if you visit gardens or wildlife reserves with wild-flower meadows, this summer. I’ve seen it at Great Dixter in East Sussex.

Jersey tiger moth

This beautiful moth is related to the more common garden tiger, and is largely confined to the south coast of Britain. However, it’s expanding its range northwards and is found in London. Flies at night but also on warm days, visiting flowers such as buddleia.

The speckled wood has increased its range, gaining a foothold in Scotland

On a sunny Sunday in south London, parks are bursting with visitors as lockdown eases, and a suburban garden bustles with life. In an otherwise average cul-de-sac, an unpromising sign leads to a remarkable project. A large apple tree at the garden’s centre is surrounded by treestump stools; to the left, a herb spiral flourishes. There’s a vegetable plot with peas and potatoes and several tubs contain seedlings waiting to become the food of the future. In the large polytunnel, tomatoes and okra ripen, and flowers bloom.

In one corner is a forest garden, with plum and pear trees, potatoes, redcurrants, and more. Betty, who’s volunteering, explains that with its various layers – trees, shrubs, herbs, and so on – this system makes use of companion planting, mimicking wild forests. Exponents claim it is a lowmaintenance, high-yield and ultimately environmentally beneficial approach to growing food. It certainly buzzes with insects.

I’m at May Project Gardens, a charity