Lady beetles

HOME INVADERS #1
LADYBUGS

 

All of us have childhood memories of catching ladybugs, letting them crawl up our arms and then releasing them; often with the flick of a finger to watch them fly away.

 

 

During the autumn, lady beetles crawl to overwintering sites where a few to several hundred will gather in an 'aggregation' (gathering together into a dense mass). The aggregation site might be located at the base of a tree, along a fence, or under a rock. Beetles are usually found under leaves which protect them from cold winter temperatures.

 

 

Sometimes lady beetles can become a nuisance to humans. Some congregate in large numbers on the sunny side of the house. Occasionally  they invade homes in huge numbers. Since lady beetles are beneficial, insecticide treatments are not suggested. Physically remove lady beetles by using a clean vacuum bag and then release them out doors at the base of a tree or shrub. Caulk and seal spaces and gaps around your house to prevent them from coming inside again.

 

 

 

Ladybugs are considered beneficial because they eat large numbers of insects which do damage to plants, flowers and food crops. Among these pests are aphids, soft scales, mealy bugs and spider mites. Ladybugs do not  harm humans or our pets in any way. Most people consider them pretty little creatures.

Although they look nothing like the adults, ladybugs nymphs do a fantastic job of keeping your garden free of many destructive insects.  You may spot them in your yard in late spring and during the  summer.

 

 

 

 

Happy Gardening,
James

 

Planting Spring Flowering Blubs

IT'S TIME TO PLANT SPRING FLOWERING BLUBS

A glorious bed of spring bulbs brightens the garden like little else can; well worth the time and energy you put into it now.

Leading the pack are the showstoppers, *tulips and daffodils, followed by a long list of spectacular flowers: crocus, snowdrops, muscari and allium to name a few. By planting clusters of different blubs around your garden you will enjoy flowers for many weeks.

Daffodils and tulips have hybrids that bloom at slightly different times: early, mid or late spring. The time is listed on the package or in the catalog. You can easily prolong the blooming period by planting some of all three.  For nice punches of color avoid blending all three together. For example, I plant separate clusters, 13 early bloomers, then a splash of  19 late and a bed of 17 mid-blooming bulbs. As the first bed fades away, eyes are drawn to the mid and then the late blooming bulbs.  Another "technique used by the Japanese",  is to plant odd numbers of bulbs. It flows more naturally on the eye. Landscapers do this with everything from flowers to shrubs.

Tulips and daffodils are planted 6 to 8 inches deep. As you are filling  the holes consider planting smaller flowers such as crocus over them around 2 or 3 inches, thereby including an earlier spring display in the same place with the same amount of work.

As with all flowers planting correctly will extend your display for years. Add a handful of chopped leaves at the bottom of the hole and sprinkle in some bone meal for a strong root system.  

Should you water after planting blubs? YES.  Watering your blubs encourages them establish roots before the ground freezes. This will give your plants a strong head start when the ground warms up in early spring.

If you love to herald the end of winter, plant snowdrops by your front door. A small simple white flower, snowdrops are the first to bloom in the spring. They even  go dormant if it snows and then bounce back as good as new. The snowdrop blubs I planted twenty years ago still bloom strong every March. I love that.

*Tulips have been an all time favorite since the days of 'Tulipmania' which peaked in the 1630's. Tulips have two drawbacks. First is that they can only be depended on for a few years before they begin to dwindle away and need replanting. To make this easier do not plant smaller blubs over them and keep tulips in an area all their own. Secondly,  many critters think tulips taste as good as they look.

Keep them behind fencing and away from deer if possible. Squirrels, groundhogs and rabbits also line up at your 'tulip salad bar'.  None of the animals listed above snack on daffodils or the later blooming allium.

 Happy Gardening,
James