Hey GG friends!

Today is our last guest post. I want to give a big thank you to all contributors the past two weeks. You rock!

Later in the week, I’ll be posting some shots from Maui. Even on my honeymoon, my inner plant nerd can’t resist a tour of island natives, tropical gardens and working farms. One adventure took also us 10,000 feet above sea level to see a Silversword, a rare plant that lives only at the top of the Haleakala volcano.

Aloha!

From Rhonda:

Over the years, our family has moved away from using a lot of chemicals to maintain our grass and gardens.  We don’t use anything that’s full of toxic chemicals. With cats who like to chew on various grasses, and a dog and a kid who love to romp around, I learn to live with bugs on my perennials and less-than-green, lush grass.

A few weeks back, I encountered a small wasp nest in a playhouse when I dragged it from one spot to another in the yard. I was swarmed within seconds and got stung on the lip. The good news is it only caused a fat lip but left us with the dilemma of how to get rid of the nest. This was one of three nests we found in the backyard: one was under our wood deck bench and another was in a foundation crack next to a wall. In the past, we always used the heavy-duty wasp spray. But I found a better, safer solution.

EcoSmart makes an organic, plant-based insecticide that kills wasps and hornets.  It had a peppermint-like odor and killed the wasps quickly. It claims to be safe for kids and pets and leaves no pesticide residue. I was happy to find an alternative. (Read more about wasp and bee control here.)

Another ‘green’ product I found this summer wasVeggie Pharm insecticide/miticide/fungicide. I used this on bugs eating my Black-eyed Susans and other perennials. Made from garlic and organic peppermint oil, it seemed to kill the pests as well as the more toxic sprays. The label says its safe for edibles and herbs, though I was reluctant to spray it on my peppers.

What other natural or organic products have you found to use on your garden or pests? If you make up your own formulas, please share your tips.

Okay kids. Time for today’s quiz.

Who knows which subterranean critter makes tunnels like this in the photo in my backyard? And which pesky mini-mammal makes those big piles of dirt all along my ditch? And which whosit dashes into the weeds and scares the (insert your favorite expletive here) out of me if I let things get overgrown (and we all know by now that I do, right)?

I’m pretty sure the tunnel is the work of moles, who eat grubs and worms. Unfortunately, their tunnels seem really near the surface this summer, maybe because it’s so dry. That’s bad news for my lawn, as though it needed any more obstacles.

Ever seen those giant piles of fresh dirt that show up overnight? I suspect those are the calling card of gophers, which are snacking on plant roots. I don’t care too much if they eat roots in my ditch. But have you ever tried to  mow around those piles?

Finally, consider the voles. Favorite food of owls in winter.  I’m sure I scare them more than they scare me, but the startle is pretty darn good, none-the-less.

Do you face down any of this gang in your lawn or garden? I try to ignore them, but sometimes I have secret fantasies about a smooth, healthy lawn (you thought I was going to say something else, didn’t you?)

Warmer weather brings more weeds and more pest. Before you panic, check out these great online diagnostic tools from the University of Minnesota Extension Service. There are tons of photos — Yay!

Is this plant a weed?
This site is designed to help you identify and manage common and invasive weeds in Minnesota lawns and landscapes.

What insect is this?
From indoor insects to garden pests, this site will help you identify and manage all sorts of beetles, moths and flies.

What’s wrong with my plant?
This site is designed to help gardeners in Minnesota diagnose problems in the yard and garden caused by insects, diseases, and nonliving factors.

Monday’s post on earthworms generated an interesting discussion about creepy crawlies in the garden. Even if they churn our stomachs, our earthworm and spider populations keep our garden soils and garden plants healthy.

(For those of you looking for a good gross-out, Twins legend, Bert Blyleven intends to eat two nightcrawlers during Saturday’s pregame show.)

But, did you know that our favorite garden soil builder, the earthworm is actually considered to be an invasive pest by the Minnesota DNR? It’s true! All of the terrestrial earthworms in Minnesota are non-native, invasive species from Europe and Asia. At least fifteen non-native terrestrial species have been introduced so far.

What’s good for our gardens may not be so good for our native forests. Click here to read more.

Saturday afternoon, I’m planting shrubs in my back yard and listening to MPR. There’s story about the Star Tribune’s recent contract negotiations with the Newspaper Guild.

Something lands on my shirt. I stop shoveling. I look down, then I look up. Little bits of yellowed newspaper are snowing all over my yard.

Suddenly, there is a terrible, high-pitched scream. I turn towards the sound just as two tiny pink bodies hit the ground.

I put down my shovel and run to the base of my Colorado spruce. I bend down and find myself face to face with the progeny of my garden antagonists. Blind and hairless, it was raining baby squirrels!

They started to cry and I started to panic. I made a little nest out of some dried leaves, then gently arranged the squirrels inside. There was a tiny scratch on one, but both seemed to survive the fall. They curled around each other and stopped crying.

(more…)