Something is eating my basil
Monday, May 24, 2010
Cladius difformis - a Sawfly whose larvae are commonly called Bristly Rose Slug
Something is eating my rose leaves
whose larvae are commonly called Bristly Rose SlugSunday, May 23, 2010
Tip: Double-check your species when purchasing from nurseries
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...
It happened again. We purchased 4 Calendulas - or pot marigolds - at a local nursery. They are wonderful companion plants for all your garden veggies, helping with insects and other things. Unfortunately, although the 4-inch plants were blooming and looked like Calendula
, and were in fact labeled Calendula, they are actually tickseed! Argh!!! Especially now that they are planted ever so precisely where I wanted my Calendula! Calendula officinalis, that is...
Last year, when purchasing medicinal plants for our garden, I bought a 1 gallon Valerian plant. I asked the gardener for Valerian. He showed me Valerian. It was labeled Valerian. It turns out that my medicinal Valerian is actually Jupiter's Beard - or "Centhranthus ruber," also known as Red Valerian. How was I to know that Red Valerian was not true medicinal Valerian which is Valeriana officinalis.
What to Do: Know your plants by scientific name and by sight. I love my Western Garden Book with photos and illustrations by Sunset Publishing - the makers of Sunset Magazine. If I had consulted it before purchase, I would not have this problem!
It happened again. We purchased 4 Calendulas - or pot marigolds - at a local nursery. They are wonderful companion plants for all your garden veggies, helping with insects and other things. Unfortunately, although the 4-inch plants were blooming and looked like Calendula
, and were in fact labeled Calendula, they are actually tickseed! Argh!!! Especially now that they are planted ever so precisely where I wanted my Calendula! Calendula officinalis, that is...
This is Tickseed, or Coreopsis
This is Calendula officinalis - Pot Marigold
Last year, when purchasing medicinal plants for our garden, I bought a 1 gallon Valerian plant. I asked the gardener for Valerian. He showed me Valerian. It was labeled Valerian. It turns out that my medicinal Valerian is actually Jupiter's Beard - or "Centhranthus ruber," also known as Red Valerian. How was I to know that Red Valerian was not true medicinal Valerian which is Valeriana officinalis.
What to Do: Know your plants by scientific name and by sight. I love my Western Garden Book with photos and illustrations by Sunset Publishing - the makers of Sunset Magazine. If I had consulted it before purchase, I would not have this problem!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Complete Destruction of a Sunflower!
Well, one of our sunflowers is playing trap crop to a host of caterpillars. It looks like the mother butterfly layed all her eggs in one basket, as it were. We haven't found any caterpillars on the surrounding plants except one.
I noticed the leaves of the sunflower had all turned brown, and upon closer inspection found the following. The question is, to let them continue as is, or uproot the stalk? On the one hand, since they seem so happy there, perhaps they will leave the other plants alone. On the other hand, the destruction is so complete, could this affect the other plants in our garden?
What do YOU think?
Nom.
Learn More:
I noticed the leaves of the sunflower had all turned brown, and upon closer inspection found the following. The question is, to let them continue as is, or uproot the stalk? On the one hand, since they seem so happy there, perhaps they will leave the other plants alone. On the other hand, the destruction is so complete, could this affect the other plants in our garden?
What do YOU think?
Unaffected Sunflower just 2 feet away
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