Just Veggies

Earwigs on Vegetable Plants: Leave Them or Remove Them?

I have a population of earwigs eating its way through my garden and I didn’t even know it. Each morning I would walk out to my garden—about 50 yards from my door—and see that the leaves of my Swiss chard, beets and pepper plants had new dime-sized holes in them. Each subsequent day the holes ...

When are deer beneficial in the garden?

Talking with a friend this week about his native plant landscape, he commented how he would welcome deer into his yard to prune the plants like they would be in nature. After battling deer all summer and practically running into them during walks in the neighborhood at any time of the day anymore, it really ...

How Many Bugs Does it Take to Raise a Brood of Chickadees?

Planting natives is key to attracting birds like chickadees to your landscape. Natives attract and support insects, a key to helping birds raise their young. For the first two years I tried xeriscaping in my yard, I planted coneflowers. Supposedly, coneflowers loved the sun, were drought tolerant, and attracted pollinators. What more could I ask ...