Gardening Buzzkill

If you have gardens, you most likely have pests of some sort such as slugs, aphids and the dreaded Japanese beetle (among several other types of beetles.) Believe it or not, there are several bugs that are extremely beneficial to the garden including ladybugs, soldier bugs and lacewing bugs.

This year, the bane of my existence has been the four lined bug. While this pest is typically attracted to herbs, I have found it feasting on my daisies, Russian sage and in my containers. Four lined bugs suck the life out of leaves, but not the blooms, leaving brown/black spots and often holes that make the plant look more diseased than pest ridden.

Aside from physically witnessing a pest in action, how do you know which are good and which are bad?

Unfortunately, chemical pesticides don't distinguish the beneficial insects from the destructive ones. And although it is tempting to reach for the bottle, there is much you can do control the bad pests long term by encouraging the good bugs through the flowers and plants you choose. Beneficial Insects 101 has some good advice for attracting and even buying good bugs for your garden.

I haven't picked it up yet, but I've also heard good things about Jessica Walliser's "Good Bug, Bad Bug," a gardener's complete guide to garden pests and how to manage them organically.

Great Finds: Vintage Garden Decor

The best finds are always the ones you weren't even looking for.
With a quick weekend stop to your local antique boutique, neighbor's garage sale, or if you fancy, a dumpster dive, you can find a variety vintage items that are both practical and inventive in the garden.

I'm not talking about gazing balls and garden gnomes. Think rustic, yet elegant pieces that can be repurposed to make creative containers, plant stands, window boxes, trellises, garden markers and more. Be on the lookout for items such as old bedframes, ladders, watering cans and pitchers, and my personal favorite, simple aluminum buckets.

Now, I haven't quite gotten into herb and vegetable gardening (yet), but stumbling upon these vintage garden markers from Anthropologie makes me want to start.

At the very least, I'm now intrigued at the idea of treasure hunting for antique silverware and making my own garden markers.

Silverware photo credit: Anthropologie.com.

Master Gardener Tour Wrap Up

I'm a little behind, but didn't want to forget about my stint 2 Saturdays ago, touring the yards of Master Gardeners, thanks to the Michigan State University/Kent County Extension.

This year's tour featured about 7 different homes, mostly on the north side, near Rockford, Belmont and Cedar Springs--large homes with even larger yards, and an abundance of space to prep, grow and maintain. My two favorites both featured garden sheds and benches, providing perfect little places for potting, storage, organization and reprieve from the sun.

I find that the pictures I take each year, really don't do the gardens much justice. Some are so vast and filled to the brim with blooming perennials and annuals, it's definitely best to experience the juxtaposition of plants for yourself. I saw several brilliant combinations that I would have never thought to place together.

I'd like to say that I learned a lot, but the tour was really just about witnessing what others have built over 5, 10, 15+ years. If anything, it validated that garden maintenance is a constant job. If you want your gardens
to continue to look fresh, unspoiled and tidy, your work is never really done. This includes weeding, pest control and dividing perennials. It was also refreshing to know that even masters continue to face the same issues as us amateurs.