One of the key ways in which I get inspiration about what to do in my garden to help wildlife is to get out there into the best bits of the countryside to see what wildlife is doing there.
And right now in mid August is probably the best time to see butterflies strutting their stuff, with the greatest range of species on the wing.
So last weekend I went for a walk on my local chalk grassland National Nature Reserve, and what a joy! Butterflies were rising up from the grass around me with every footstep. I'm not going to claim it was a cloud of butterflies, but it was confetti-ish.
And then what I love is when you find a plant that they clearly can't get enough of. And, yes, Greater Knapweed and Black Knapweed were doing great. But it was the Marjoram that was the biggest draw of all.
There were Small Skippers...
and Chalkhill Blues galore (with their distressed jeans look for all you fashionistas)...
and multiple butterflies guaranteed on each clump... (here Chalkhill Blues and a Meadow Brown)
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Very few of us will be fortunate enough to live somewhere where Chalkhill Blues will grace your garden, but Marjoram is still a plant I would never be without. In my gardfen it gets Holly Blues, all three whites, Common Blue, Meadow Brown and of course Gatekeepers, who love it. Plant it in a sunny position, several plants together, let it flower and I GUARANTEE butterflies will visit. (I know, I know - never guarantee anything where wildlife is concerned!).