Beneficial Insects: A Boon to Butterflies and Gardeners!


© Naomi Mathews
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Just as no great summer picnic is complete without the proverbial ants, neither is a healthy garden complete without some good bugs. However, not just any old bugs will do. These bugs have a special mission to accomplish in their brief life span.

"Good bugs? Why would I want ANY kinds of bugs -- good, bad, or ugly? All they ever do is eat my beautiful plants and flowers!" you cry out in loud protest.

"The answer to your question is really quite simple. You just need to understand the delicate balance of Mother Nature," I reply calmly. "You see, every garden needs some GOOD bugs in it, as they will feed on the BAD bugs. Otherwise, the BAD bugs will take over, and they are the ones that are really responsible for eating your plants and flowers. This is simply Nature's way."

And now -- it's time for my early morning stroll in my garden.

It's finally that wonderful time of year I've been waiting for! My garden is growing right before my very eyes. A gorgeous array of perennials and annuals having leaves of green, silver, gray, burnished reds, and a host of hues in between are now gracing my garden. Flowers are blooming prettily on their healthy new stems, nodding their heads and smiling fragrant greetings as I stroll past them. What a pleasant vision on a bright and sunny spring morning! It feels great just to be alive, to breathe in the fresh morning air, to see the beauty of my gardening handiwork. All of it blessed by Mother Nature, of course.

Just a moment! What are those tiny little green things crawling all over the leaves and buds of my favorite Peace Rose? On closer inspection, I note that these same little green guys have taken up residency on my early blooming Red Blaze Climbing Rose!

Oh no! Not again! Aphids! Why did God create aphids anyway? What purpose do they serve in the grand scheme of things? None at all that I've ever been aware of, except to perhaps try my patience level. Well, whatever the reason, one thing is certain; they simply CAN'T keep dining on MY roses!

Maybe I should have applied that Super-Duper Kill-em-Dead systemic fertilizer and pesticide bug spray after all. That really did knock all of those nasty aphids for a loop last year.

But what about my butterflies and hummers? There has to be a better way than using those deadly substances that will bring harm, even death to my exquisite garden visitors. I already have all of my favorite butterfly and hummingbird flowers planted, just waiting for them to arrive. In fact, some are already blooming, such as my lavender and white penstemons, the dazzling pink and scarlet dianthus, and fragrant navy blue heliotrope.

 

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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages

13.   Jun 14, 1999 8:13 PM
The rose I was referring to isn't a tea rose -- but a "Floribunda" -- Mine is the "Europeana" and is a lovely red. It's flowers are in "bouquet shaped" clusters, with many on each stem.

I don't ...


-- posted by Naomi_Mathews


12.   Jun 13, 1999 9:40 AM
If it's producing whole bouquets of flowers it's not a hybrid tea. It may be a grandiflora. Hybrid teas are the ones florists use to get that bouquet of single, long-stemmed roses. One grand, huge fl ...

-- posted by CarolWallace


11.   Jun 13, 1999 9:14 AM
I agree with you on those -- I have one called "Cherish Pink" and although it has lovely blossoms and foliage, it does require more pampering. I find it more difficult to prune properly. Maybe it's ju ...

-- posted by Naomi_Mathews


10.   Jun 13, 1999 8:13 AM
I used to find them intimidating, but not anymore. Once I learned the basics of pruning them properly I was hooked! I learned all about pruning them from my daughter -- her roses would win prizes in a ...

-- posted by Naomi_Mathews


9.   Jun 13, 1999 8:03 AM
Hybrid teas are the ones that demand all the pampering. There are many others that are quite easy to grow.

-- posted by CarolWallace





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