7 Insects You Actually Want In Your Garden

 

1. Lady Beetles

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: They eat aphids and other softbodied pest eggs, scales and whitefly nymphs.

Bait Them With: Asters, marigolds, cosmos, cilantro, yarrow, dill, cabbages, sweet alyssum, flowering kale.

2. Ground Beetles

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: They will destroy slugs, snails, cutworms, flys and rootmaggot eggs and larvae.

Bait Them With: Sweet or white clover and other ground covers; also use mulch to provide habitat.

3. Hoverfly

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: Maggots eat softbodied pests such as aphids.

Bait Them With: Feverfew, lavender, sweet alyssum, candytuft, dill, fennel, asters

4. Lacewings

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: Their larvae prey on pest eggs, aphids, scales and small caterpillars.

Bait Them With: Most pollen and nectar flowers, dill, daisies, fennel, angelica.

5. Aphid Midges

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: Immature insects feed on many species of aphids.

Bait Them With: Nectar-rich flowers and herbs, including Queen Anne’s lace, dill, mustard

6. Parasitic Wasps

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: They act as parasites by laying eggs in caterpillar and aphid larvae.

Bait Them With: Dill, mint, sage, thyme, lavender, coriander, Queen Anne’s lace, sunflowers.

7. Bumblebees, Honeybees, Mason Bees

Benefits Of Having Them In Your Garden: They pollinate food crops.

Bait Them With: Orchard fruits, mustards, cress, wildflowers, clover, blueberries, hollyhock.

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8 Medicinal Plants You Can Grow at Home

Grow a Healing Garden

Physic (or physick) was the name given to gardens of healing plants grown by physicians and monks in ancient times and by home gardeners well into the nineteenth century. Why not plant your own with some of these herbs? By investing a little sweat and the cost of seeds, you'll have the makings of infusions, teas, and balms. Just choose a sunny spot with rich soil for your garden. Perennial plants will grow from season to season, while annuals must be reseeded or transplanted.

1. Basil

Annual: Harvest the young leaves of what's called "the king of herbs" as needed.
Uses: Flatulence, lack of appetite, cuts, and scrapes

2. Chamomile

Annual: Use the flower heads for infusions and salves.
Uses: Indigestion, anxiety, skin inflammations.

3. Feverfew

Perennial: Use leaves and flowers for teas; chew leaves to ease headache pain.
Uses: Headaches (including migraines), arthritis, skin conditions.

4. Lemon Balm

Perennial: A relative of mint, lemon balm is a versatile medicinal herb.
Uses: Anxiety, insomnia, wounds, herpes, insect bites, flatulence, upset stomach.

5. Parsley

Biennial: Like its curly cousin P. crispum, this herb is loaded with nutrients.
Uses: Flatulence, bad breath.

6. Sage

Perennial: Sage's genus name, Salvia, means "to heal," reflecting its early use as a medicinal, not culinary, herb.
Uses: Mouth and throat inflammations.

7. St. John's Wort

Perennial: The glossy leaves and yellow flowers are this herb's active parts.
Uses: Mild to moderate depression. (Talk to your doctor first.)

8. Thyme

Perennial: The active principle in thyme, thymol, is a strong antiseptic.
Uses: Coughs, congestion, indigestion, gas.

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6 Tips for Starting a Windowsill Garden

1. Let the Sunshine In

Locate your brightest window and add a set of grow lights, if needed.

2. Make a Flat Plan

Whether you use flowerpots, a seed-starting box or repurposed grocery-store containers, make sure there are holes in the bottom for drainage and a liner underneath to catch excess water.

3. Get Dirty

Fill your chosen receptacle three quarters of the way with organic potting soil. Sprinkle a handful of seeds on top and cover with a light patting of earth.

4. Dampen, Don't Drown

Use a spray bottle instead of a watering can to hydrate the soil until germination.

5. Trim Regularly

To ensure a long yield and maximum bushiness, give greens a regular haircut even when you're not cooking with them. You can dry and store excess herbs for later use.

6. Care for the Air

To prevent plants from drying out, keep air flowing with an oscillating fan and use a humidifier to counteract winter's drying effect.

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