Gatekeeper

These yellow Heleniums have been covered in bees and Gatekeeper butterflies today. Mainly honey bees but a few bumbles also. 

Very heartwarming especially after hearing David Attenborough today mourning the continued decline of even common species of UK butterflies. I wish more people would grow more bee and butterfly/caterpillar food plants. It's not hard and they can make the garden look amazing. Caterpillar food plants are often overlooked in the messages to grow plants for pollinators; many caterpillars are monophagous which means that they only feed on one type of plant and usually these are 'native' British species which some can see as weeds. Nettles are vital for several species so it's good to let a patch grow in an inconspicuous sunny spot if you can. Here's a list of plants to grow to keep the caterpillars happy too: http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/foodplants.php