Phase one of the £25m Butterfly World Project near St Albans, UK, has now opened to the public.

The Future Gardens attraction offers visitors 12 showcase gardens and one charity garden arranged in the form of a caterpillar.

Seven permanent gardens, including the Lilliput Leaf Garden, Children's Leaf Garden, Dry Leaf Garden and the British Butterfly Garden, are complemented by 'antennae' walkways and a spiral roboscis walk.

Therese Lang, director of TJM Associates and creative director of Future Gardens, said: "Future Gardens will provide visitors with the inspiration and enthusiasm to think about how they can develop their own garden space with real imagination while at the same time keeping the environment in mind.

"We are looking forward to illustrating how the gardens will change and develop over the four summer months - a luxury that is not available at any other UK garden event."

It is estimated that the conservation park will attract 200,000 visitors between now and October, when the 26-acre site will close for construction of phase two.

The world's largest butterfly dome - measuring 100m in diameter by 17m high and housing 10,000 tropical butterflies within a rainforest featuring Mayan ruins - will open in spring 2011.

Founder Clive Farrell said: "We're looking forward to seeing the project evolve, not just over the next few months but over the next few years as we progress towards the ultimate goal of establishing the largest butterfly walkthrough experience in the world."