Creeping Charlie, You're Dead to Me!

I say in my best Tony Soprano voice...

I'm waging a war against Creeping Charlie, a formidable landscape enemy.

Creeping Charlie is an invasive ground cover that is part of the ivy family. It crowds out the grass, it's rhizomes make it quick to spread, and it's really tough to completely eliminate. And, if you hear someone say it only likes damp, shady areas, they're liars, because the majority of my yard is in full sun. And, the majority of my yard happens to be Charlie.

I'm taking back what's mine through force (and extreme measures, if necessary). I have my arsenal planned, and while nukes aren't an option (although, I have heard of people using a blow torch), being vigilant tends to be the best strategy. Hit hard, hit often, in the fall and after it flowers in the spring for best control. Yes, control. The success stories of those who have actually eradicated Charlie are few and far between.

A great lawn is the foundation for any great landscape. And, I want to be able to run barefoot through my own backyard. If it takes a persistent herbicidal cocktail, so be it.

If you think I'm exaggerating, check out this string of Charlie woes, treatments and results.

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.