Exactly one year ago, I moved from a small-town, small-yard urban neighborhood, to a not-so-small farm, equestrian community in suburban Atlanta. In my previous garden, the biggest threat was our […]
Articles on Insects & Pests
Proactive vs Reactive is the Successful Way to Garden
I had a meeting recently in which I was describing why my garden had been doing so well, in spite of the very strange weather and conditions experienced this season; […]
Aphids, how can they be controlled?
This is a question I get all the time. “Every year in the middle of the summer, I get hit with aphids which attack my squash and string beans. What […]
Organic Pest Controls
Organic pest control methods are generally less environmentally damaging and toxic. Whenever possible, you should use the least toxic method first. There are some very effective natural pest control treatments […]
The Importance of Pollinators
Imagine living in a world without flowers or fruit or even coffee or chocolate for that matter. Thanks to the wonderful work of pollinators like bees, much of the food […]
Fall Web Worms
By now, you are seeing masses of spidery webs engulfing the tips of tree branches in your yard and around town. Not sure what they are? They’re fall webworms. Many […]
Beetlemania
They’re everywhere! Crawling out of cracks around the windowsills, huddled up in the corners of the ceilings in the brightest rooms, warming themselves on light fixtures, there’s one now flying […]
Ode to an Earthworm
Ode to an Earthworm Perceived as lowly, But actually holy, The earthworm feeds the soil. Humble in looks, Often skewered on hooks, Silently it toils. Woven into the dirt, Never […]
Botanical Insecticides
Botanical Insecticides (commonly referred to as ‘BI’s’) are derived from naturally occurring compounds found in plants. Widely used in the from the 1800’s to the 1940’s until the introduction of […]
Dealing With Voles
One day you notice your prized native azalea leaning in an unusual manner. Upon further inspection, it seems to be barely attached beneath the surface. You pull back the mulch […]
Dealing with Deer-Can they Really be Controlled?
Deer are more of a problem than ever. Urban sprawl and encroachment on their habitats has made them less fearful of human presence, looking to our gardens as their primary […]
Control of the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid
The Hemlock wooly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) is a destructive little creature, causing devastation to evergreen forests from Canada, through the northeastern United States and southward into north Georgia. Accidentally introduced […]
Japanese Beetles: The Whole Story
The handsome but unpopular Japanese beetle is loathed by just about everyone. As the name implies, it’s an import, arriving in the United States by way of New Jersey in […]
