May 22 , 2014
Wild Wonders + Meet the Beetles!
I ’d love to quilt my garden in winecups !
I also adore this soft combination : heartleaf skullcap and artemisia dotted by wayward larkspur .
presently the heart-leaf run short underground until tardy crepuscule and the larkspurs to sow . The ravening artemisia will cover the spot this summertime . When heart-leaf returns , it ’ll be time to manicure artemisia again .
Many wildflowers are setting seeds . When the seed head are brown , collect , dry , and store in the home , not in the shed . Our viewer picturegoes toWarren Dixonin College Station , where he ’s got a whole field of aboriginal Texas verbena about ready to re - populate .
Now , here ’s a will to daylilies in part shade . This batch gets shade most of the solar day , but enough psycho light sun to brighten up that maculation .
This Saturday , head out to theAustin Daylily Society’salways noteworthy show and sale to plunk up some of these drought - tough perennials . Plus , the plant they sell are tried & genuine varieties for us .
Evergreen Sparkler sedge ( Carex phyllocephala ) ‘ ice ’ is really meant for shade , but handles psychotic lighting just fine .
I admire the one at theTravis County Extensiondemonstration gardens establish in brilliant shade against a paries , but it sure sparkles thing up under live oak trees , too . Find out why Daphne make it herPlant of the Week .
I ’ve try Sparkler sedge for years without much success , so I ’m taking Daphne ’s advice to reincarnate compost around my current ones . Also , I call back mine are getting TOO much shade . One is so miserable that I move it to a container that gets more dappled light , to supplant a frozen foxtail fern . ice is quite cold brave , so if this works , we ’ll all be happy !
One reason for some of my shade is the neighbour ’s pecan trees . Richard Lopezasked us : “ How long can we store pecan indoors ? And when should we plant?”Get Daphne ’s answer about why to plant in dip .
Here ’s the latest uncovering to fend off squash vine stone drill moth or other pests on your crops!John Dromgoole shows how to protectwith Micromesh , this one by Haxnick ’s .
He also cautions about using Bt unless you direct a specific caterpillar , like cutworms in the tomato seam or Genista caterpillar explosion on sight accolade , where they can pass over out a untested tree diagram in no time .
On many plants , Bt just kills our future butterfly stroke and cross-pollinate moths . Petroselinum crispum and dill weed are heading to seed - land , anyway , so leave the Swallowtail butterfly stroke caterpillars alone .
aright now , you might be blob fauna like this .
That ’s the larva of one your best Quaker , ladybug , that clean up those aphids for you . ma’am bug are really beetles . This week , entomologist Mike QuinnjoinsTom to fit some of the other beetleson term of enlistment working severely for us in our garden .
I first met Mike through theAustin Butterfly Forum . He also curatesTexas Entomology , which include mythologic flick of various insect , info about them , and tie-in to insect resources around the country . He ’s a top contributor toBugGuide , another go - to reservoir for insect I.D. .
There are many madam beetles out there , including Asiatic pest ( Harmonia axyridis ) , that invade our dwelling house . On the other hand , the Ashy Gray is a beneficial supporter .
You ’ll make out Mike ’s childhood taradiddle about Notch - Tipped Flower Longhorn beetles ! In the larval stage , they mostly bore into deadened wood to promote decomposition . Then , those tunnels become nesting sites for bees . As adults , they are pollinator .
On duty tour atNatural Bridge Caverns , see one of the best reasons to “ go clean ” on top of the ground .
Thanks for stop in ! Next week , see how a household replaced lawn with ponds . Linda
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