The butterfly garden in the Ashburton Domain will soon burst into life!

The garden is currently under partial renovation after old bird aviaries were removed, but it will soon be back open to the public for close-up encounters of the butterfly kind.

The garden was started in 2017 and while it might look messy at times, it is the perfect place for not only butterflies, but also for birds, moths and insects.

Infrastructure and Open Spaces Group Manage Neil McCann said a lot of the native plants in the area had been chosen to provide fruit and nectar for the bugs and birds.

“Swan plants were an obvious food source, and the inner gardens are made of up perennial plants like rudbeckia, liatris and monarda, which are all flowering plants that the butterflies love.

“We also have large boulders and rocks in the garden and these produce warmth and heat for the butterflies to sit on and enjoy.”

Nettle was also a key food source for butterflies, especially the red admiral.

“Even though some of the plants we have there are technically weeds, things like stinging nettle and clover also provide a valuable food source for butterflies,” Mr McCann said.

The butterfly garden has been developed over the past five years and is home to monarch and red admiral butterflies. Work has already begun on the renovation and parts of the garden may be taped off occasionally while the project progresses.