One of the highlights from the 2016 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower is sure to be the enormous (283 metres) Butterfly Dome, which has a lush paradise garden and thousands of exotic butterflies from Indonesia and South America.

2016 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show: Butterfly Dome Entrance. Photo Credit: ©Ursula Petula Barzey.

Located near the Thames Gate Entrance, the Butterfly Dome is dotted with feeding stations which provide an opportunity to admire close up the tropical butterfly species including blue morpho, pale owl, postman and swallowtail.

2016 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show: Butterfly Dome – Blue Morpho butterflies all with closed wings at feeding station. Photo Credit: ©Ursula Petula Barzey.

Most of the butterflies actually swarm around in a frenzy and while difficult to photograph, its lovely to watch.   Also within the Butterfly Dome which is hot like the tropics, there is a wildflower meadow full of colourful native flowers designed to attract British butterflies and other wildlife and is sure to bring a smile to the faces of all who enter — especially if there is a celebrity spotting. For me it was the lovely Raquel Cassidy who played the role of Phyllis Baxter, the Countess of Grantham’s Lady’s Maid, in Downton Abbey.

2016 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show: Butterfly Dome – Downton Abbey Actress Raquel Cassidy. Photo Credit: ©Ursula Petula Barzey.

Tickets to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, which runs from 5 July to 10 July 2016, are still available. For more information or to secure tickets visit the Royal Horticultural Society website.

2016 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show: Butterfly Dome – Butterflies in flight around the tropical wildflower meadow. Photo Credit: ©Ursula Petula Barzey.

2016 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show: Butterfly Dome – Black & Green butterfly. Photo Credit: ©Ursula Petula Barzey.

2016 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show: Butterfly Dome – Brown & Orange butterfly. Photo Credit: ©Ursula Petula Barzey.

2016 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show: Butterfly Dome – Blue Morpho butterfly with expanded wings. Photo Credit: ©Ursula Petula Barzey.

2016 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show: Butterfly Dome – Pale Owl butterflies. Photo Credit: ©Ursula Petula Barzey.

2016 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show: Butterfly Dome – Guidance on attracting butterflies and other wildlife into your garden. Photo Credit: ©Ursula Petula Barzey.