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into their many nectaries. I wondered what colour this parent plant would be, praying it would be white, or at least purple, but definitely not 'apricot'.I finally planted it out in January when the topsoil arrived. Normally I wouldn't recommend jolting a plant

of butterflies, as they are the primary food source for many caterpillars including those of the comma, tortoiseshell and peacock. Without nettles caterpillars would go in search of alternative food sources - probably one of your favourite plants.Nettles help

.AdamAll brassicas like rich, hearty soil, so manure the ground well the autumn before planting.Advice on growing brassicasGrowing broccoli, with Monty DonMonty gives advice on planting summer cabbagesDealing with cabbage white caterpillarsRemoving flea beatles

Late-summer nectarAs some insects are still out foraging in late-summer, it's a good idea to provide food for them with nectar-rich, late-flowering plants.Plants for beesIn late-summer, many plants have finished flowering, but bees, butterflies

- all of which are rich in nectar, and are particularly attractive to hoverflies and lacewings whose larvae, in turn, eat aphids.Stinging nettles are essential food for the caterpillars of butterflies such as red admirals, tortoiseshells and peacocks

. If this year's youngsters and their parents can obtain enough energy now, they'll have the energy resources to survive leaner times ahead.Nesting parents have a particularly tough time in summer. The job of finding hundreds of caterpillars a dayis hard work