The number of butterflies in the UK is dropping. So what can you do to help?

Whether you have a big garden or a windowbox, there are plants that you can grow which provide food for butterflies. Plus they look, smell and some even taste good to us too!

First of all, pick a sheltered sunny spot if you can, as butterflies like the warmth. Use peat-free compost (easily found quite cheaply at a garden centre) as peat is taken from marshlands where butterflies naturally live.

Plants native to the UK are most suitable and butterflies like those with a lot of nectar. Try growing bluebell, clover, daisy, dandelion, cookie flower, buddleia, nasturtiums, Michaelmas daisy, mints, or thyme. Rosemary and lavender are also favourites and herbs like thyme and rosemary can be used to flavour cooking.

Caterpillars need food too. They like holly, ivy and stinging nettles (plant these in a container sunk into the ground to stop them spreading too much).