Growing butterfly food

This weather is simply dreadful after our return from Cape Town, but very pleased this morning to check ten seed trays into which I sowed Horseshoe Vetch seed before leaving the UK. There is already quite a lot of germination of this very important food plant for Chalkhill and Adonis Blues, iconic butterflies of our chalk downs. The plant Hippocrepis comosa gets its common name from the repeat horseshoe shape of the seed pods, which can be seen here. The new plants will be planted out next year in a series of 'butterfly scrapes' in an area of the nature reserve where we are trying to create the right conditions to attract the beautiful Chalkhill Blue to spread in our part of the Chiltern hills.