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Category: garden help

Help Me! Help My Garden! #3 Bugs and Berries

Posted on April 3, 2015 by

edmin Posted in farm, flower gardens, food, garden, garden help, garden lifestyle, insects in the garden, Patio gardens, Uncategorized — No Comments ↓

Today we tackle aphids, and planting strawberries and blueberries.

Bugs on my roses! Q: My roses are starting to bud, and I can’t wait to see them bloom, but now the buds are covered with tiny bugs. What are they, and how to I get rid of them?

A: I am afraid your roses have aphids on them. The tender buds are these insects’ favorite treats, and if left untreated, they will suck the life out of the buds. These soft bodied insects are usually pale green or brown and will suck the sap from almost any plant. There are several non-chemical/less toxic methods to controlling them.

A good blast with a hose will easily knock them off the plants. Do this in the early morning so the leaves will have time to dry. You will need to repeat this often. Lady bugs LOVE to eat aphids. Most nursery centers sell little containers of lady bugs. Sprinkle them on the affected plants at dusk (so they don’t fly away), and let them enjoy the buffet. Be warned though, the containers hold hundreds of lady bugs, so if you have a small yard, share some with a neighbor. Insecticidal soap spray.…

Help Me, Help My Garden! Oh, Deer!

Posted on March 7, 2015 by

edmin Posted in deer, drought tolerant gardens, flower gardens, garden help, garden lifestyle, nematodes — 1 Comment ↓

How cute are these guys? Not so cute if they are in your garden munching away on your Hydrangea…

Deer Proof Plants Q: I love seeing deer in my neighborhood, but they are a menace to my garden! Are there plants that deer won’t eat?

A: Yes, they’re cute, but deer are not particularly picky when it comes to what they like to eat. They can also jump over fences. While you won’t be able to deer proof your garden completely, there are plants that deer tend to pass over on the buffet. Here are some plants that I like, and you can also ask a local nursery professional if these plants aren’t available in your area.

Shrubs: Cape Mallow (Anisodontea), Bamboo, Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia), Bottlebrush (Callistemon), Lavender, Oleander (Nerium Oleander), Rosemary, Jade Plant

Vines: Bougainvillea, Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium Sempervirens), Jasmine, Potato vine (Solanum laxum)

Perennials/ Annuals: Yarrow (Achillea), Agave, Columbine (Aquilegia), Aster, Artemesia, Dahlias, Freesia, Hellebore, Peony, Gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia hirta), Calla lily, Narcissus, Impatiens, Basil, Thyme

Deer can jump up to eight feet high, so erecting fencing that is at least that high around vegetable gardens, fruit gardens, and rose gardens will also help deter these lovelies.

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Help Me, Help My Garden!

Posted on February 28, 2015 by

edmin Posted in citrus, flower gardens, Flowers, garden, garden help, insects in the garden — 9 Comments ↓

I have always been a huge admirer and fan of advice columnists like Dear Abby, Ask Amy, Dear Prudie. When I was still in Human Resources, I was thrilled when my boss asked my to write workplace advice column called ‘Dear Gabby’. I admit, I’m a helper, and I love giving advice when it is solicited. I know you have garden questions because I get dozens of them emailed to me every month, so I am starting a garden ‘advice’ column as part of the Eden Condensed blog. I hope you’ll learn something, get some advice, and feel more confident about your gardening skills by following along. And send me questions!! You can comment here with questions or fill out my message form.

Here are today’s garden issues:

Wilting Hydrangea Q. I just planted a big leaf hydrangea in a shady area of my garden and it’s not doing well. It’s wilting and the leaves are starting to fall off. What did I do wrong?

A. The prefix ‘hydra’ means water, and hydrangeas need a lot of water. They have fleshy roots, and if they don’t get consistently moist soil, they will wilt very quickly, especially when they…

Category: garden help

Help Me! Help My Garden! #3 Bugs and Berries

Help Me, Help My Garden! Oh, Deer!

Help Me, Help My Garden!

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