The butterfly bush: not quite as charming as it might appear!
As any keen gardener will tell you, the Buddleia is the ideal bush with which to attract butterflies. But did you know that it is a species with two sides to its personality?
Once planted in your garden, it develops rapidly, even in difficult and highly resistant soil. Its coloured flowers will brighten up your garden and attract butterflies. An ideal plant, you might think.
But what you don’t see is that it has come to your garden to spread itself around as much as possible. One single individual plant can produce millions of seeds which colonise railway lines, derelict land, river banks and other areas, to the detriment of other plants, depriving the landscape of diversity.
So don’t be fooled! Don’t give in to temptation: plant a local species instead, which will be able to find its own place without depriving others of theirs!
If you are unsure what to choose, take advantage of the local “Plantons le Décors” (Decorative Planting) initiative, which suggests, for example, flower-filled meadows to meet your needs.
And this is only one example of what you can do in your garden to find a perfect balance between nature and your own enjoyment.
