This week in the garden

It’s

butterfly time

in the garden (above), and there’s no better way to enourage these exquisite flying insects than by growing one or two specimens of the fast-growing deciduous butterfly bush, Buddleja davidii, the shrub whose colourful flower spikes are produced from July to September. Grow it in a sunny, sheltered spot, making sure to prune hard in mid-spring by cutting back last year’s growth to within three-four buds.

Keep

deadheading late-flowering perennials

such as penstemons, echinaceas, and rudbeckias to extend their flowering period for as long as possible.

Sow seed of

hardy winter lettuce

. Varieties suitable for growing outdoors include ‘Lattughino’ and ‘Rouge d’Hiver’, while those that do will do well under glass/in a polytunnel include ‘Valdor’, ‘Winter Marvel’ and ‘Arctic King’. Remember to protect young seedlings from slugs.

Ripe homegrown tomatoes are so delicious that it’s all too easy to forget to put a few aside in order to

save the seed

. But it’s well worth doing so for the deep satisfaction that it gives. For a detailed guide to successfully saving your own vegetable seeds (suitable varieties can’t be F1 hybrids and must be heirloom/ open pollinated), buy a copy of the Cork-based seed supplier Brown Envelope Seeds booklet ‘Saving Vegetable Seeds in Ireland’ (brownenvelopeseeds.com).