BUTTERFLIES IN SWAN PARK

SWAN PARK

If you go down to Swan Park today, you are sure of a big surprise. There are some colourful additions to the fabulous butterfly garden in the shape of a giant painted butterfly and bumble bee for you to stick your head in and have a photograph taken. George and Cyril, Buncrana’s two hard working town gardeners have also added plenty of information about the types of butterflies that inhabit the park, so it is well worth a visit.

Swan Park is steeped in history and is a major attraction with tourists who walk to see the river and riverside walk and coastal walk as well as the the Keep, which is thought to have originally been a 14th century Norman castle. The river is home to some large salmon too and the local fisherman have had a bumper catch recently with all of the rain we have had.

BUTTERFLY GARDEN
August is one of the busiest months for butterflies and not surprisingly the plants are at their most colourful to ensure that the buttefrlies and bees are there to pollinate them. In the butterfly garden you can see plenty of ideal plants for them to thrive. There are nettles, buddiea, hyssop, verbena, sedum spectabile, nasturtium and scabious. In addition to those plants, lavender, marjoram, mint, heliotrope, pot marigold, virginian stock, candytuft and hebe all all out in flower and would attract august butterflies. Perhaps you will spot a Red Admiral, Painted Lady or Comma butterfly when you are visiting.

DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know that bumble bees do not sting you? So there is no need to run around the garden trying to get away from them!


BUMPER CROP

If you were lucky enough to have planted beans and courgettes in the garden this year you will find that the weather was perfect for bumper crops. We have had so many flowers on the courgette plants that we are coating them in batter and deep frying them for a tasy treat…

Delicious!