Marjoram the magnet

Val is hopeful for a gatekeeper butterfly revival

0NE of the lessons I learned when I moved here in 2004, to what was a desolate garden with little wildlife, is the value of undisturbed areas in the outer reaches. The areas close to the low stone walls harbour perennial weeds and they're stony. There was a pigsty in the southwest corner and the floor is still there. I planted roses and honeysuckle along the southern wall of the cottage and these look better from the field than they do in the garden. I love it when walkers on the footpath stop to smell the flowers.

The metre-wide (3ft) strip along the western wall is the wildest part of the garden, but it gets a lot of sun for most of the day so it's pollinator-friendly.