I saw my first holly blue of the year today. Early Holly blues can be quite small - half the size of a postage stamp . Later emerging ones can be a bit larger.
They occur in some gardens and to me they seem like they belong in an ancient wind-blown meadow, not an urban garden.
They like to feed on holly as well as Ivy, upon which they lay their tiny eggs. They like to do this on ivy flowers, so when I can I leave areas of ivy for just this purpose.
They spend the winter as chrysalises under twigs and leaves on the ground. So untidy corners can be a boon, if you incorporate them into your garden in a smart way .
I am all for highly-tended beds and borders. But I also like to have a mix of formal and wilder areas if I can.
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