Butterfly gardening

Killing wasps now saves butterflies. Find out the unusual place I found a paper wasp nest.

Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand (MBNZT) certification is given to best practice butterfly and moth habitats. How does Auckland Butterfly Garden stack up so far?

Flowering plants are going into the flower beds and borders, ready for spring. I also take a road trip to see a very special nursery.

All praying mantis eat butterflies, but South African mantis also eat New Zealand mantis. This means war.

Butterflies and moths seen this winter in the garden, including a rare newcomer to New Zealand, which triggered a biosecurity alert.

After a month of work we have new garden beds and cleared borders. Bring on spring!

What plants worked best in the small butterfly garden this summer? What will I continue to grow and what will be abandoned?

Which butterflies visited in summer 2024/25? Which didn't?

Why winter gardening is not recommended. The heavy work to expand the butterfly garden means getting muddy.

Yellow admiral butterflies are eclosing daily, despite the winter weather.

Our not quite Insta-worthy dead hedge and definitely not butterfly worthy nettle bed is constructed

Keep your eyes open for overwintering groups of monarchs and monarchs with "tags".

There are yellow admiral caterpillars everywhere, eating me out of house and home.

A guide how NOT to raise red admiral butterflies. Various disasters have hit my red admiral caterpillars but a few beautiful ones have made it to become butterflies.

A Rotorua visit proves that the common blue butterfly is indeed common. I enjoy seeing them in every direction.

Wasps. Why they are a big deal and what we can do, if anything, to get rid of the evil things.

A beautiful yellow admiral butterfly visits unexpectedly to lay its eggs.

What flowers attract common blue butterflies? Find out with a tour of the butterfly garden led by Zizina otis

A visit to Franklin Farm's butterfly house is AMAZING and I watch monarchs on the beautiful range of flowers.

English style flower gardens around Auckland to get inspiration from for my butterfly garden