Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
18th July 2026
Flying Flowers
A few weeks ago I wrote about looking for – and finding – caterpillar poo on green alkanet in the hedgerows and my own garden. The caterpillar poo lead to the eventual discovery of the actual caterpillar of the Scarlet Tiger.
So I was thrilled to spot the adults in my garden recently. And I think they knew I was a fan, as they bravely settled on my hands and legs. Whilst their brilliant colouring and vibrant markings makes them look very butterfly-esque, they are in fact day-flying moths. Or ‘merths’ as Inspector Clouseau would say (you have to be a certain age).
Not surprisingly, the Scarlet Tigers love Wales and are at their most prolific in our beautiful, lush, usually-green countryside. You will see them between May and July and it is apparently the males that are more likely to alight and rest a while (no comment). Unlike most moths, the Scarlet Tiger has fully developed mouth parts, so they can feed on nectar and are diurnal – meaning they are active in the daytime.
As the photo in my earlier column demonstrated, (with Yogi photo-bombing), the caterpillars are black with yellow lines and fine bristles, and feed on plants like comfrey, green alkanet and stinging nettles. All of my various buddleias are in full bloom at the moment and as well as being deliciously scented, they are the perfect buffet bars for Red Admiral, Peacock, Painted Ladies and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies.
Now I’m the first to admit that for a long time I referred to all of those butterflies as Red Admirals – I think that’s what we were told as kids – and they are indeed quite similar, until you are ‘interested’ and then realise that they are actually quite different in appearance.
And their lifestyles are quite different too. The Red Admirals used to migrate from Africa but now stay in the UK all year round due to the climate changing. Painted Ladies fly into the UK from Europe each year. The Peacock butterfly is probably the ‘flashiest’ of the four, with the ‘eyes’ on its wings designed to deter birds from eating it.
I am now quite obsessed by butterflies. There is so much to know. I love the ‘Gatekeeper’. Not a very natty looker, but so called because it loves hedgerows and is usually found around gates. How cool is that.
The Small White butterfly spends most of its time loitering in white flowers as camouflage against predatory birds and the Large White is full of poisonous mustard oils, as a deterrent. That is some kind of super-power.
There are four white butterflies in the UK, and none of them are ‘correctly’ called Cabbage White. That is the common name for the Large White, which earned its nickname – as all veg growers will know – from it’s caterpillars love of cabbages.
The Holly Blue is a simply stunning little butterfly, and as the name suggests, is blue and feeds on holly – and ivy, as the ones at the cottage do. The less-striking Speckled Wood is very territorial and will actually ‘bomb’ you and your dog to defend its patch.
I recall talking to King Charles – when he was Prince Charles – and he always refers to butterflies as ‘flying flowers’. Not quite anatomically correct (which I didn’t point out) but a lovely description nonetheless.
Anyway, not only have the buddlieas piqued my interest in butterflies, but Yogi and I have spent the heat-wave mornings sitting outside under the arching branches of Buddliea ‘White Profusion’, watching the sunrise, and enjoying its heavenly scent.
Rydw yn hoffi coffi
Another of my current favourite things is cold brew coffee. It’s the perfect ‘treat’ in work in the hot weather and lasts well in a thermos flask (or even hip flask) on a walk, as well as in work.
And it’s so easy to make, you just have to plan a bit as it takes between 12 and 15 hours to ‘brew’. Basically you are making your coffee with cold water instead of hot, which slowly and gently pulls out the flavour and makes it sort of sweet and smooth. And delicious.
There are several ways to make your cold brew, so do look for your own preferred method, but here’s what I do.
I use roughly 20 grams of coffee – you will use more coffee than when making it hot – and a coarse grind is supposed to be best, but I’ve just used the ground coffee I like or have got. Put the ground coffee into a big jug – again, mason jars are recommended and you can even buy a cold brew coffee bottle – but my jug works just fine.
Pour 250 grams of cold water into your container and stir or agitate well to make sure all the grounds are mixed into the water. You will find there are ‘dry pockets’ unless you mix thoroughly.
Put your container in the fridge for between 12-15 hours. Mine has been in there for less and longer – it’s only a guide. Strain and pour over ice to serve. Various recipes suggest muslin and coffee filters for straining, but I just use a tea strainer. You’ll have a bit of ‘coffee gravel’ in the bottom of your cup, but I like ‘rustic’. I put loads of ice in the thermos flask and it’s still delicious at midday – when it lasts that long!
You can also make cold brew coffee using a cafetiere or French Press and there is another method which entails brewing a really strong ‘base’ and then diluting it to drink. I haven’t tried that yet but I can see that it would work.
Another method, called Flash Brew, is a Japanese-style iced coffee, which brews hot coffee directly over ice. The rapid chill apparently locks in acidity and aromatics that the longer cold brewed coffee tend to lose, and possibly more importantly, the whole process takes minutes rather than hours.
Flash brew boasts ‘a clean, crisp cup with a full flavour profile’, which extracts coffee with hot water, then chills it immediately over ice, apparently ‘locking in the coffee’s bright, complex flavours while limiting bitterness and oxidation’.
You have to use permanent ice cubes made from stainless steel or food-safe plastic, which chill the coffee without diluting it. There are lots of recipes online.
As well as ensuring I am only one sip away from a good mood, I love all the preparation too, it’s a lovely, satisfying ritual. Coffee is like life – meant to be savoured and not rushed, and a little chaos in life is fine as long as your coffee stays reliable.
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