All the Dirt on Gardening

Monarch butterfly caterpillar By now everyone who reads about gardens, gardening, nature and the environment is planting milkweed and that's a good thing. Aphids on milkweed Milkweed brings lots of new friends to our gardens. Here are the ones on our milkweed. First, there is no milkweed without aphids. I leave them on the plants for their predators to eat and parasitize. Wasps and Lady Beetles and their larvae are ones we most commonly think of as their predators. Pirate bugs and Syrphid Fly larvae also eat aphids Ladybug on milkweed Then there's the Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillar, Euchaetes egle, that eats milkweed leaves. Cute as they are, they are eating Monarch caterpillars' food and I wish they wouldn't. Tussock Moth Caterpillar This year we have swamp milkweed, tropical milkweed and balloon milkweed in the garden for Monarch caterpillars. The balloon milkweed is the number one favorite with swamp milkweed coming in second. The tr...

This is a single plant of Monarda or Bee Balm or Bergamot - whatever name you prefer, she is a beauty every year. I started it from a pack of seeds 6-years ago. The name on the pack that attracted me was Bergamot because that's the flavoring in Early Gray Tea. The leaves make thirst quenching iced tea. The plant has been divided over and over again to give roots to friends and to plant around the yard. It needs to be divided again this year. Here's a closer photo of the petals. Not visible is the constant covering of honey bees, butterflies and moths. APHIDS Gnarled, distorted, arthritic looking leaves can be caused by aphids, according to plant pathologist Margery Daughtrey at Cornell University. Link here to full article. Check the underside of curled plant leaves and stems for signs of insects. I start treatment by drenching the leaves and stems with a few drops of dish soap in a gallon of water. Use a paper towel or other disposable cloth to gently wipe off the dead insec...