Psyche™
Zone 1 |
Copper Butterfly Corridor
Theophora™ NZ
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Psyche is inactive from March - August. 🦋 We'll return in September 2026.
Zone 1 Progress
Zone 1 Progress
4 upgrades planned | 0 completed
A narrow strip alongside the driveway is being transformed into a corridor for local copper butterflies. Stones and river rocks gathered from around the property are repurposed into warm basking piles, while creeping pōhuehue (Muehlenbeckia axillaris) provides the host plant their caterpillars depend on. Rock crevices and sheltered pockets encourage native skinks and geckos to share the space.
Like every zone at Psyche, it's built largely from what the property already offers — stones rehomed rather than bought, and prunings returned to the garden's composting loop.
Sanctuary Upgrades:
Sanctuary Upgrades:
Sanctuary Systems:
🪱 Soil System
🌱 Plant Growth
💧 Water Support
🦋 Pollinator Habitat
🐇 Rabbit Habitat
🏠 Infrastructure
Letterbox
Letterbox
Current State
The existing letterbox is functional but visually disconnected from the sanctuary aesthetic.
Goal
Replace the letterbox so it complements the black fence and entrance.
Sanctuary Systems: 🏡
Fence Restoration
Fence Restoration
Current State
The boundary fence is weathered and inconsistent in appearance.
Goal
Repaint the fence black to create a clean visual backdrop for the sanctuary and unify the property design.
Sanctuary Systems: 🏡
Host Plants
Host Plants
Current State
Mostly weeds and no dedicated butterfly host plants.
Goal
Clear area of weeds and plant Muehlenbeckia axillaris to support Copper Butterfly caterpillars.
Sanctuary Systems: 🦋🌱
Stone Habitat Clusters
Stone Habitat Clusters
Current State
Scattered stones deposited in spots around the property.
Goal
Gather, clean, transport to corridor to provide basking areas and shelter for butterflies and native lizards.
Sanctuary Systems: 🦋🏡
Progress Updates
Progress Updates
April, May, June, July, August 2026
April, May, June, July, August 2026
All our outdoor work is on pause until September 2026.
March 2026
March 2026
Contacted our local city council seeking contact details for my boundary neighbours. This is to seek permission to commence work on the jointly-owned boundary fence.
Planning a custom plywood letterbox; gathering materials and drafting a mosaic design for the house number to match the sanctuary aesthetic.
Council responded with contact details for 3 of the 5 boundary neighbours. Draft letter underway.
Purchased some mosaic tiles for the letterbox design.
Completed one section of the corridor host plants/stone habitat clusters 🙌 (1 of 9).
This project is part of Psyche by Theophora, a living sanctuary for the soul's metamorphosis — where sacred plants nurture the journey from earthbound life to winged grace, and the garden's gifts are gathered in turn.
YouTube
YouTube
Follow our Butterfly Habitat Project at @TheophoraNZ
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