How did I go from being a diligent bug zapper to a Zen bug lover, I’m not sure?
It’s all about bugs, slugs, spiders, ants, weevils, and all the other creepy crawlers. The really, bad guys that eat your hostas, leaving them lacy and ugly.
Problem is, I can no longer care if they are good guys, or bad guys, I either leave them alone, or relocate them to another garden.
I just can’t bring myself to kill them anymore. Each one has a life, it may not be any more complex then “eat Jen’s hosta.” EAAAAAATTT!
Or it may be that their goal is to catch all of the bad guys, like the spidy that lives behind the wall fountain by our patio door. Did I mention it’s a great big hairy, scary, spider.
It all started with him. [And no, there will be no pictures of great big scary spiders on this blog, it’s a spider free blog, don’t worry.]
Gar feeds him the crane flies that show up in late August, “he’s a growing boy.”
Huge, honking big guy. One that I had to pass by each time I wanted access to my garden.
I am not a fan of spiders, but gradually I am teaching myself not to scream a ghastly ear splitting screech every time I run into one. I instead prefer to jump, and run, high tailing it for the safety of a closed patio door.
Yes, I’m some gardener.
I don’t mind the slugs, and those cutesy, wootsie little snails, they get picked up with a tissue if they are slugs, and thrown into the compost bin. Where I suppose I hope they can eat until their heart’s content.
Our patio is peppered with black ants, who have a truce with us, and are smart enough not to break it, they don’t come inside the patio, we don’t squish them. Hey it works.
You should see me outside the deck, doing the 6 foot tall, gangling two step, in order to not squish any of them. It’s well worth the giggle. Add in a water hose, and “oh boy” we are having a hoe down tonight, the neighbours love it.
“There goes Jen, watering the ants again” they say.
So Zen …. it’s OK with me, nothing in life is perfect, and I guess my leaves are a little lacier then others, but I’m OK with that.
If however you don’t like to garden like that, my next post will have a few organic ideas on pest prevention.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Your hostas and my hostas have the same hosta loving bug. I noticed my marigolds, stinky plant that they are, are being eaten to bits by something, I think earwigs, this week. I will kill an earwig!! They aren't nearly as bad as in last years, thankfully. They really creep me out when I lift a pot or ornament or rock and there are 10 or more hiding underneath. I'll look forward to your post on organic remedies. Have a wonderful weekend Jen!
ReplyDeleteI have become a little more tolerant with some of the critters in my gardens too.
ReplyDeleteYou and my dad would get along. Once I asked him about tomato worms --why he allowed them to chew freely on his tomato vines. He simply replied that he planted an extra tomato for them. Here at the Garden Spot we don't do much insect control either. They are God's creatures, too.
ReplyDeleteI think it's an admirable position to take. I'm looking forward to hearing some of your tips on making the neighbourhood a little less hospitable for the wee critters.
ReplyDeleteIs it 'denial' if you just try not to look at them (?), like they are not there? It's easier for me to be a "Zen bug 'tolerator'" being in Zone 5; if I were in Zone 7, 8 or 9... I probably couldn't be a gardener. I'm a wuss!
ReplyDeleteLOL! I'm glad to find you. Ann mentioned about this post in my Comment box so I came by. Let's compete on whose garden is the laciest. :)
ReplyDeleteWarning : My blog is not spider free.
It is all about grass hoppers here they eat all my flowes and plants. Just to many to KILL.
ReplyDeleteOh, I so hear you, Jen! I can't bring myself to kill little beings who are just going about their day as they're meant to. It helps that I'm one of the few people I know who actually like creepy-crawlies of all sorts. I have the people at work trained to call me in for an intervention if a spider appears...I happily pick him up and liberate him. My workmates think I'm odd, but the bug carnage has definitely gone down...LOL!
ReplyDeleteSomeone told me once that it was bad luck to kill spiders...after that I began collecting them in glass or jars and tossing them outside when I would find them inside. I´m not a fan either but not about the pass up a chance for a little luck if I can get it...hehehehe...
ReplyDeleteWhen we were kids we use to pour salt over slugs..isn´t that horrible...I don´t do that anymore....grown up ya see...never taught my kids that one either...thankfully..
We have tons of ants, in fact they have taken over a rose plant I have and built a home around it..so if you try and pull weeds from around the rose- you pull up thousands of ants from their home...so I´ve just given up the rose and let them have it...what can I say, they have good taste in beautiful homes ;-)))
You are too cute, Jen. We used salt on our slugs just to watch them shrivel up. Now I wouldn't think of it. I just leave everyone alone to do their life cycle of living.
ReplyDeleteWould you be so kind to leave a comment on my BLOG ONLY, for the Miracle Makeover fund drive. Charlie, 8 yr. old, & his story are fabulous. Every comment brings us a $1 for the next person that will be sponsored.
Have a beautiful weekend.
Hugs,
TTFN ~
Marydon
There is a hosta in my courtyard that rivals yours. I call it my "split-leaf" hosta. I probably would have done something about it, eradicated the culprits [doesn't eradicate sound nicer than kill?] but they finished their meal before I got to the table. Oh well. Such is the life of the gardener. I'm more tolerant of the "good bugs" now but I'm still not very nice to the plant eaters.
ReplyDeleteYou are nicer than I...war has been waged all season on slugs. But alas the slugs are winning, darn slimy things! Kim
ReplyDelete