Helen Chesnut
Aphid-infested stems a food source for larvae
Curled leaves at the juicy tip ends of new growth on one of my dwarf apple trees were a sure sign of aphids. My usual remedy is simply to do a late spring shortening of new growth, which also removes the aphid colonies.
I had launched with zest into the task when I began to notice neat little patches of yellow on some of the leaves. On close inspection I realized they were insect egg clusters. Then, as I looked closely through the tree I saw numerous ladybugs (ladybird beetles), some single, several doubled up piggyback style, diligently working on creating more eggs to hatch into bristly, aphid-devouring larvae.
What to do? As I understood that my little tree was hosting a ladybird beetle production line, I decided to leave the remaining infested stems in place for now, as feeding points for the helpful insects.
Both adults and larvae are valuable aphid predators. The adults also eat pollen. Among the best garden plants for attracting and feeding them are cilantro, dill, yarrow and sweet alyssum.
Victory Gardens for Bees: A DIY Guide to Saving the Bees by Lori Weidenhammer Douglas & McIntyre, 240 pp, $26.95
It’s time to become Bee Aware, for bees facilitate the production of a major portion of the foods we rely on.
The stark reality of the threatening extinction of some bee species and the astonishing reduction in honeybee numbers is laid out as the book begins: “No bees, no berries. … No bees, no seeds. No seeds, no future.” And, as an Environmental Justice Foundation poster suggests, “if the bees disappear, they’re taking us with them.”
Why “Victory Gardens”? Just as Victory Gardens sprouted up everywhere — in back yards, patio planters, school yards, window boxes — during the Second World War to stave off food shortages, now, too, it is time to help remedy the current “beepocalypse” and start gardening for our lives. Victory Gardens for Bees is a lively and beautiful, absorbing and important book. I’ve had my copy only a short while and it’s already well thumbed through and marked. The many photos of bees in flowers are remarkably endearing, and the text is interspersed with tidbits of bee lore.
I’ve often been dismayed to find bees curled up, apparently ill or expired, in flowers. Now I find out that bees often take naps on leaves and flowers. Flowers like morning glory close over sleepy bees in the evening and release them to sunlight in the morning. “Once the flower refills with nectar, the bee can drink breakfast and be on his way.”
Some highlights in the book:
• A roster of bees. You may be surprised at the many different kinds of bees around. Learn how you can help them thrive in your garden.
• Native bees. A chapter describes how to create housing for these super-efficient pollinators.
• Individual chapters on bee-friendly herbs, vegetables, perennials, and hedgerows (trees and shrubs) have A to Z charts of the plants with their bloom time, size, special characteristics such as drought tolerance and deer resistance, and the types of bees and other beneficial insects the plant attracts.
• Containers. Throughout, there are ideas for bee gardens in containers: A recipe for “Cottage Perennials in pots”; a photo of a canoe in a back alley, filled with low-growing and climbing plants.
• Ten garden-plan sketches include a children’s bee garden, a beekeeper’s garden (in a chapter on beekeeping), and a balcony garden for bees.
GARDEN EVENTS
Peninsula meeting. The Peninsula Garden Club will meet on Monday, June 13, at 7 p.m. in the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney. Prize-winning organic gardener Anne Freidank will offer practical advice from her 28 years on the Peninsula on producing a 12-month harvest in an urban garden. Anne’s presentation will include a video visit to her garden. The evening will include a sale of garden items, a juried parlour show, and Master Gardeners information. Visitor drop-in fee is $5. peninsulagardenclub.ca.
Learn about plants. The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd. in Saanich, is presenting the next session of Plant Identification and Culture on Saturday, June 18, 1 to 4 p.m. This is an ongoing, monthly course that can be joined at any time. In each session Diane Pierce introduces 25 new plants, with their descriptions, preferred growing conditions, landscape uses and maintenance. Cost to members per session is $35, others $45. Cost for 12 sessions: members $350, others $450. To register call 250-479-6162. hcp.ca.