Attracting Beneficial Insects

Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects: A really useful,article here to assist in choosing plants that attract beneficial insects. We currently have the following:-

• Taraxacum officinale — Dandelion - attracts lacewings, ladybugs
• Coriandrum sativum — Coriander - attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies
• Foeniculum vulgare – Fennel - attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies, trichogramma wasps, pirate bugs, damsel bugs and big eyed bugs
•  Achillea millefolium — Common yarrow - attracts ladybugs, hoverflies, trichogramma wasps,
•  Chrysanthemum parthenium — Feverfew - attracts hoverflies,
• Lavandula angustifolia — English lavender - attracts hoverflies,
• Lobularia maritima — Sweet alyssum white - attracts hoverflies, trichogramma wasps
• Mentha pulegium — Pennyroyal - attracts -hoverflies, trichogramma wasps, tachnid flies

The importance of having bird baths is also mentioned, we have four in the front garden and none in the back garden so should probably get some for the back too. We do not spray any pesticides and have noticed many of these bugs, increasingly over the years, this is a reminder of where we are at now and what we can do to keep improving.

Growing Now

 This is the first time that this tree has had so many figs, they are a Brown Turkey Fig, but like the rest they get eaten very quickly.

This is the first time that we have grown broccolini and broccoli successfully and we are crediting that to the use of wood chips we have now layered across the grass and beds in the 'Back to Eden' garden method.

 The raspberry bush has flourished this year, as I cut the canes back much more severely, canes clearly benefit from cutting back.

 The blackberries are nowhere near as successful as I did not get around to cutting back the old canes, my guess is that this has reduced our harvest by about 75% so it looks like we will not be having a fresh blackberry trifle for xmas this year...

 We were so proud of this peacharine, it was a beauty to behold, until the parrots demolished it. Had to breathe hard and remember the Permaculture Principles of sharing.....

 

There are now more than a dozen flowers on the globe artichoke so now we have provided housing for hundreds of ladybirds, hope they move in soon.

 

 We have finally finished the next stage of the front no- dig garden. Once again we have used recycled timber, shredded paper, old leaves, card board, newspaper and clippings to make the bed. This time we have placed several inches of wood chips on straight away and planted into that thyme, capsicum, strawberries and eggplants. We have had extremely hot weather but by using the wood chips the soil has stayed cooler and the plants have not struggled like they would gave otherwise.

Ladybirds at Work

 I am so pleased to see the ladybirds, lizards and other critters at work in our garden. I have noticed that the ladybirds especially like the Italian parsley plants that I have let go to seed.

They also like the fennel flowers, and here I spotted one on the evening primrose. If the globe artichoke flowers I will be leaving it to dry and stay as last time it became a great natural house for hundreds of ladybirds. Sadly, I only found this out once I had chopped it down last time, a mistake I will not make again.

Lovely Ladybirds and Marvellous Mulberries

The temperature has soared here today, we will reach temperatures of 36 degrees for the first time, and some of the plants look very sad in the heat of the day. Not the Mulberry Tree though, and these two beautiful mulberries have been harvested and eaten on the way to the letter box.


And meanwhile, despite the heat, an army of ladybirds is working its way through the unwanted bugs on the Kale and Spinach.