It’s not just the burst of colourful bedding plants that reminds us summer is almost here – the opening of The Butterfly House – the only one in Birmingham – is also a welcome indication that those lovely, warm days are here advise the experts at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
It will be open daily until Sunday, September 1, and you’ll be able to see hundreds of tropical butterflies from as far as the Philippines, Central America and tropical parts of Africa. Each week 100 new pupae are placed in the emerging case- we attach them to bamboo canes with glue – so that there are always new butterflies to enjoy.
Like you, we’ll be out in the garden as much as possible over the next few months, making the most of those warm, sunny days and keeping on top of the pruning, weeding and deadheading.
The beauty of the Gardens is that there is always something new to see, week-in, weekout.
If you love our cacti collection, head to the Terrace, where we will be landscaping our display of cacti and other succulents – some are incredibly heavy and spiky!
The team will also be out in force to ensure all borders and display areas are filled with beautiful summer bedding, and checking the plants regularly to ensure the taller specimens are suitably supported.
If you want to learn more about the Gardens, the horticultural team is leading guided tours. Have a look on our website to see when the next ones are – but these one-hour specials include the history and heritage of
the Gardens, the Butterfly House, and the herbaceous border and herb garden.
We’re also looking forward to a summer of exciting events, from outdoor plays to movie screenings to those fun summer holiday activities, just for our youngest visitors. We can’t think of a more stunning backdrop than the Gardens to enjoy these!
We’ve no doubt that you’ll be making the most of the longer days to fill your garden with summer colour – from pots full of geraniums to borders bursting with bedding plants. There will be lots to do this summer to keep on top of things.
Here are just some tasks you should do:
- Mow the lawn at least once a week
- Plant out your summer bedding now that the threat of frost is over
- Hoe borders regularly to keep the weeds at bay
- Check lilies for the scarlet lily beetle –remove by hand if you spot any
- Remove rose and tree suckers
- Start thinking about sowing your winter bedding plants, such as ornamental kale and winter pansies
- Add shading to your greenhouse to prevent soaring temperatures and open windows to increase ventilation.
