Page 17 - ALG Issue 3 2024

as well as a small chalk bank with Kidney Vetch and Bird’s-foot Trefoil.
It also included flowerbeds full of nectar sources, such as Hemp agrimony, Fleabane and larval foodplants such as Hedge Garlic and cranesbills.
The community are looking forward to seeing which species they spot this spring and summer.
Getting Involved
It’s very easy to add your Wild Space and you will join the community of 2,400 Wild Spaces registered across the UK. Our dedicated website includes an interactive map showing all the Wild Spaces (and the type of space - e.g. balcony, patio, garden, allotment or community space), a species
ID guide and other resources to help you establish your Wild Space and create an area where butterflies and moths can thrive.
Our aim is to create many more Wild Spaces in 2024 and beyond to help ensure a future for our butterflies and moths. If we are all inspired to act, together we can make a big difference.
DIVERSITY
TOP TIPS FOR CREATING AN
ALLOTMENT WILD SPACE INCLUDE:
• Choose fruit, vegetables and herbs which butterflies and moths can eat too. Marjoram (Wild Oregano) is the favourite nectar source
for the gatekeeper and runner beans are a favourite for
brimstone butterflies.
• Plant fruit trees and bushes such as blackcurrant, apples and conference pears.These are great for moth caterpillars.
• A blackberry hedge at the side of your plot can provide plenty of fruit for you and butterflies too. Both Commas and Red Admirals will feast on overripe fruit.When the plants are in flower, they will provide nectar for a wide number of species including Meadow Brown, Peacock, Holly Blue and SmallTortoiseshell.
• Wildflowers which act as caterpillar foodplants can be
included too, such as Birds-foot Trefoil and Garlic Mustard.
Holly, hawthorn and Alder Buckthorn are great shrubs for caterpillars - if there’s not room on your plot, maybe you can plant them nearby around the edge of the site.
For further information or to register a space, visit: www.wild-spaces.co.uk Stephen Gray, Head of Wild Spaces, Butterfly Conservation
Allotment and Leisure Gardener | Issue 3 2024 | 17