Visit to West Lynn Gardens butterfly house

February 2025

Interior of West Lynn Garden's butterfly house

In early February I went to West Lynn Garden to visit their well established butterfly house. It is a volunteer-run garden and it costs $5 entry, which is less than half the cost of some other Auckland volunteer-run gardens. I hadn't been before and the small car park was busy when I got there. People were picnicking on the lawns and there was a family party in the function rooms. However, when I stepped into the butterfly house I had it almost to myself.

What struck me immediately was the amount of shrubs for cover and shade. There were native tree ferns and a couple of exotic trees growing in the centre of the structure. There were also ponds and plenty of seats to enjoy the space, the quiet and the butterflies.

Brightly coloured lantana camera

The planting was very tropical, which surprised me. There were hibiscus, bush fuchsias, ti, a beautiful stephanotis vine that grew to the roof, ferns, bromeliads and lots of lantanas. There were also more predictable nectar flowers like coreopsis, goldenrod (yet to flower), buddleia, lavender, toadflax and gaura. The steady thrum of cicadas added to the tropical feel, with a clapping cicada landing on me and having a sing before flying off.

It was lovely to be around the butterflies, given I've only had a couple visit the garden so far. I wanted that feeling of having them around me and I had that on entering, where the butterflies were most active. More were resting on the landing pad leaves of the tropical plants. Fat caterpillars crawled over potted swan plants, which were dotted around the garden.

There was a water bowl filled with pebbles for the butterflies - something I need to consider. Chrysalis were pegged up under one of the tropical trees.

There were other lovely artistic touches. Embedded in the concrete path were handmade tiles decorated by children featuring caterpillars, butterflies, chrysalis, predators, etc. In the entrance space there was a beautiful community book swap that had been hand-painted by Sue Butler and there were plants for sale there - tropical milkweed (labelled Mexican swan plants) were only $3 each.

The gardens themselves had some interesting features - the best insect hotel I've ever seen - but I felt I wasn't seeing the grounds at their best and I couldn't go into every space because of events. The cicadas loved it though - they were everywhere - and given it is a cultivated space, I saw that as a sign that the garden was respectful, accommodating and encouraging of the local wildlife.

I recommend a visit, especially for butterfly lovers, and I will definitely be going back. With all the trees planted there, it will be interesting to investigate what flowers handle a semi-shaded environment.