January 8, 2017 Aphids pesky suckers on plants I found aphids on yellow dahlia blossoms that are already leafed out and blooming. Beneficial insects will help control them but there things that you can to to help out the good bugs in your garden.
September 16, 2017 Ants in the house, ants in the garden. Argentine ants live in the garden and move into our houses in search of food and water and to escape flooding. They are not native to North America are not considered beneficial insects. There are ways to rid your house and garden of Argentine ants.
October 29, 2015 “Good” Bugs Control “Bad” Bugs Get to know beneficial insects and their larva (good bugs) that live in your garden. Become familiar with their appearance and what flowers and plants they find attractive. “Good bugs” do not eat flowers and leaves, they prey on destructive insects, considered “bad buds”, and their larvae, and they will help to keep your garden in balance without the use of insecticides.
July 3, 2013 A Balancing Act in the Garden Three easy ways to create balance in your garden. Feeding plants on a regular schedule will keep it green and growing. Don’t overwater or overfeed. Keep weeds under control by mulching and weeding invaders are yound.
April 11, 2012 Growing Cymbidium Orchids on the Central Coast Cymbidiums orchids do well in our coastal climate, and just about anywhere else in San Luis Obispo County, if given filtered sunlight, water, and…
October 10, 2011 Fall Means Changes in the Garden For the last month or two I’ve been in maintenance mode in my garden. Lots of deadheading and watering. Inspiration for new planting has…
June 7, 2011 Growing and Harvesting Artichokes We got a real “mother load” of artichokes this year. Maybe it was all the rain. Maybe it was a fact that these plants…
August 5, 2010 Green Spotted Beetle is Up to No Good! Everywhere that I’ve lived, there has been at least one insect that I find especially annoying. In Marin and Sonoma Counties I despised the…
April 5, 2010 April Gardening Along the Coast I’ve been working on the vegetable beds. They are pretty much filled up now. Snow peas, arugula, lettuce, strawberries, komtsuna (tendergreens), carrots, and beets…
March 27, 2010 Roses-Pruning to Blooming In January I did the last of my rose pruning. I had let the shrub roses get too large so I really had to…
March 1, 2010 March Gardening Along the Central Coast As some of my readers know, I live in a coastal village south of Big Sur and north of San Luis Obispo. I consider…
October 11, 2009 Planting Vegetables In Your Flower Beds You can grow vegetables in greenhouses, raised beds, mounded beds, rows, and in containers. You can plant a “French-intensive” garden or a formal kitchen…