Are They Friends of Yours?

You know that as a gardener you are doing something right if you are greeted by a few of your friends while in the garden:

Above: baby praying mantis

Below: monarch butterfly caterpillar

Praying mantids are extremely carnivorous: they will eat almost anything insect-wise, good or bad. I recommend them highly if you don't spray with pesticides in your garden  and you have a bug problem. You can purchase egg cases to hatch in your garden at this time of  the year.  This is the season for monarch butterflies to move through our area. If you would like to assist these beautiful creatures during their 5 generation migration from Canada to Mexico, plant milkweeds in your garden: this is the only plant that the caterpillars feed on. If you would like some seeds, please come see me in the garden at Greystone next Wednesday, 10 a.m. Below: we have covered our baby plants with a "low hoop cover" system.  

We are all planting out our little baby veggies at this time of the year. If you have noticed (as I have in my home garden) that your young "starts" disappear over night due to snail/slug predation, try covering them with a homemade "cloche" made out of a recycled take out container:  

See you in the Garden! I am planning on being there next Wednesday, 10 a.m. Barb