Country Life 28 July 2021

published 28 July 2021

The butterflies on the cover? Clockwise from the top, they are: peacock, marsh fritillary, speckled wood, chalkhill blue, painted lady, swallowtail, marbled white, green-veined white (summer brood), purple emperor, orange tip, green-veined white (spring brood), small pearl-bordered fritillary.

Find out more about this week's magazine:

BUTTERFLIES: Robin Page sets off with net and notebook, plus a ruler with Imperial markings, in pursuit of all 59 butterflies found in Britain, from small copper to large blue

MY FAVOURITE PAINTING: Edie Campbell chooses a powerful modern scene full of feeling

EDWARD THOMAS: Nick Denton follows the paths of country poet Edward Thomas

DOCK LEAVES: Do dock leaves really cure nettle stings? Ian Morton finds out

POO PICKING: Poo-picking reveals a wealth of wildlife for John Lewis-Stempel

FISHING: David Profumo casts for memories on sunny English chalkstreams

NEW BUILDS: Clive Aslet examines why new housing developments are often so poor and suggests how they could be improved

HOUSE DESIGN: Classic or cutting edge? Eleanor Doughty debates house designs

LUXURY: Boats, pianos and Anne Robinson

GARDENS: Tiffany Daneff is enchanted by the ever-exciting gardens of Colebrooke House, Gloucestershire

RECIPE: Melanie Johnson on courgettes

And much more

Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.