Butterfly gardening

Entries include creating the butterfly garden, basking in the beauty of the flowers, raising butterflies in captivity, visiting butterfly houses, etc.

What's the big deal about wasps?

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

Butterfly gardening

Apr 17, 20256 min read

Yellow Admiral visitor

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

Butterfly gardening

Apr 14, 20253 min read

A common blue butterfly on heliotrope flowers

Flowers for the common blue butterfly

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

Butterfly gardening

Mar 30, 20252 min read

Monarch butterflies on mexican bush sage

Visit to Franklin Farm's butterfly house

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

Butterfly gardening

Mar 19, 20253 min read

Flower bed at Auckland Domain Wintergardens

English garden inspiration

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

Butterfly gardening

Mar 16, 20253 min read

Water for wildlife

Every wildlife garden needs water, but its going to take a lot more work until I get it right.

Butterfly gardening

Mar 2, 20253 min read

Big Backyard Butterfly Count

This week was I Love Butterflies week and the Big Backyard Butterfly Count. See what I spotted!

Butterfly gardening

Feb 16, 20253 min read

The interior of West Lynn Gardens butterfly house

Visit to West Lynn Gardens butterfly house

A visit to West Lynn Gardens butterfly house, filled with tropical planting and monarch butterflies

Butterfly gardening

Feb 9, 20252 min read

At last! Monarchs!

Success! Monarchs finally arrive in the butterfly garden and I note which flowers are their favourites.

Butterfly gardening

Feb 2, 20252 min read

Learning to love white butterflies

Cabbage whites are the only butterflies around and I begin to appreciate them.

Butterfly gardening

Jan 19, 20253 min read

The checkered appearance of a coastal copper butterfly

New Year Coppers

I find beautiful coastal copper butterflies at the beach and hope they make it to my butterfly garden

Butterfly gardening

Jan 12, 20252 min read

Parasitic wasps attack pupae

Parasitic wasps wipe out a generation of red admiral butterflies.

Butterfly gardening

Dec 29, 20243 min read

The pilot butterfly garden emerges

I fail to grow flowers from seed so I go plant shopping! Then I need to plant everything.

Butterfly gardening

Dec 22, 20245 min read

Bed of Nettles

New Zealand has a range of native nettles, which admiral butterflies need for food and which I'm incapable of growing.

Butterfly gardening

Dec 15, 20244 min read

Moths: Night dancers and environmental indicators

Step 2 of the project plan is to monitor moths and butterflies. Each month I trap moths to see what's nearby.

Amazing moths

Nov 24, 20243 min read

Creating a haven for Auckland's wildlife

Introduction to the garden & planned projects for butterflies & wildlife. Start reading here.

Butterfly gardening

Nov 11, 20243 min read