Garden Insects

One of the more frustrating things for any gardener is when they venture outside to the garden only to find voracious insects devouring the product of their hard work! What can you do about these tiny critters without resorting to poisons or insecticides and other harmful chemicals? First, identify whether the insects are truly harmful or not. Some caterpillars for example will strip a fennel or passion vine bare within just a few days. Most of these caterpillars have very specific tastes however and will soon transform into beautiful butterflies. Pollinators like butterflies are critical to the success of any garden. Sometimes it’s better to take a little hit and have fennel, or passion vine that looks denuded for a bit just to gain the benefits that these beautiful winged creatures provide. Another alternative is to plant, or allow to grow, other plants like milkweed. In a natural meadow-like lawn,…

Continue reading

Ditching Lawns for Lush, Diverse Gardens.

From the AP: America’s love affair with the lawn is getting messy More and more people are getting away from plain, boring lawns, and moving to diverse gardens that provide abundant color, texture, and foliage, while at the same time providing ample resources for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. From the article: Monrovia, a major grower of plants for nurseries and other outlets, has seen lots of interest in a “Garden of Abundance” trend -– a more “alive-looking” yard with a variety of plants, says company trend watcher Katie Tamony. She says it’s a way of thinking about your yard “as not just being yours, but part of a more beautiful, larger world that we’re trying to create.” Plants that attract pollinators were the category most sought-after in a survey of Monrovia’s customers, she said. Many counties and municipalities have jumped on board as well, and are encouraging residents…

Continue reading