natural gardening Archives - Mother 2 Mother Blog

Today, I’m sharing gardening tips on native plants for pollinators. First, check out my post on How to Attract Pollinators before you leave. Pollinators are needed to help produce flowers, fruits and vegetables. So, it is imperative that you plant a garden that will produce nectar for bees, wasps, beetles, butterflies, hummingbirds etc. These are the top pollinators in gardens. As a result, you will want plants that will attract them.

Next, annuals, perennials and native plants will attract pollinators. However, native plants are preferred. Since they are native, they don’t require fertilizers and they adapt easily to soil conditions. And, they require less water than annuals and perennials. I love planting a combination of natives, annuals, and perennials.

Here is a list of native plants for pollinators:

Eastern Red Columbine – So, this plant attracts humming birds and blooms April through May. It it known for its beautiful red and yellow flowers. And, it can be grown from seed. However, it will bloom in it’s second year. Eastern Red Columbine thrives in shade and in the sun, but must be watered. Great for zones 3 – 8.

Black Chokeberry – Next, this is a small to medium size shrub that grows about 3 – 4 feet and produces white flowers in April and May. Afterwards, you will find black fruit that will grow into winter. These berries will help feed backyard birds during cold weather. The foliage is a bright mix of red and orange. Great in zones 3 – 8.

Purple Milkweed – The purple milkweed loves sun and dry soil. It produces dark purple flowers in June and July. The plants grows to about 2 – 3 feet, and attracts monarch butterflies. Perfect in zones 3 – 8.

Butterfly Weed – Also, this plant produces bright yellow, orange, and red flowers, which attracts lots of beautiful butterflies. It plays an important role in my butterfly garden. It likes full sun with good drainage soil. Plants grow to about 1 – 3 feet, and blooms July – September. Perfect for zones 4-9.

Mountain Goldenrod – This plant grows about 2 feet and produces yellow flowers that bloom July – September. Actually, they prefer part shade and rocky soil. The yellow flowers attract butterflies. Perfect for zones 3 – 8. I’m lucky, Goldenrod grows wild around my property. As a result, I transplanted several plants this fall into my butterfly garden. Hopefully they will survive the winter.

Smooth Aster – So, this plant grows about 2 – 4 feet, and loves full sun to part sun. It produces blue flowers from August – September. Great for zones 3 – 8.

Fire Pink – This plants will attract hummingbirds. It produces crimson colored flowers and blooms May – July. The Fire Pink loves full sun or full shade. Looks beautiful in gardens and woodlands. Perfect for zones 4 – 8.

Golden Alexander – This plant is an blooms early, and is a member of the carrot family. Most importantly, it is a host plant for the Black Swallowtail butterfly. It prefers full sun to part shade and grows to be about 1 – 3 feet tall with a 1 – 2 foot spread. Great for zones 4 – 8.

Hoary Skullcap – This plant loves sun, part shade to shade. It grows 2 – 3 feet, but should be planted in a large garden so it can spread. The plants produces purple, blue or violet flowers that bloom from June – September. Perfect for zones 4 – 9.

Rosinweed – This plant is similar to a sunflower. It grows to be 4 – 6 feet, but usually tops out at 3 feet. It is happy in full sun to part shade. And, it blooms from June – August, and the Goldfinch love the seed. Great for zones 4 – 8.

Queen of the Prairie – This plant loves full sun with rich soil. It produces cotton-candy pink flowers that are puffy like cotton candy. The plants grows to about 2 – 8 feet and produces blooms from June – August. This is perfect for Zones 3 – 7.

Purple Coneflowers – Last, coneflowers love sun to part shade. The purple coneflower produces pink flower and produces seeds that the Gold Finch loves in the winter. The plants grow approximately 3 – 4 feet tall and bloom from June – August. Perfect for zone 3-8.

Last, I hope that you will check out each of these beautiful plants and determine if they will grow in your growing zone. If so, purchase a few for a favorite spot in your garden. It’s important that we add more native plants each year.

harmful inddor garden pests

Gardening is a very popular hobby among many people today. It seems to be an easy task for most people thanks to the acceleration of advanced technology. However, gardeners face many challenges. Harmful pests are often at the top of the list. There is no doubt that harmful pests can destroy the garden in a short time. They may include aphids, cabbage maggot, caterpillars, cutworms, fleas etc. If you have plants indoors, harmful indoor garden pest can be a problem there too.

To eliminate harmful pests, there are two treatment methods you can choose from: chemical products and natural repellents. Both can help you remove harmful indoor garden pests. Nonetheless, while industrial products give you very fast results, natural repellents require more consistent application and a little more patience. Check out our tips on how to get rid of harmful indoor garden pests below:

Chemical Products

Nowadays, there are hundreds of items in the market for you to choose from. Fleas are a common issue for many gardeners. There are many chemical based products available to eliminate them. However, you need to bear in mind that these chemicals are potentially harmful for your pets and your own health. There are specific products for indoor and outdoor gardens, so be sure to choose the correct one. To find a safe and effective flea killer for your house, it’s a good idea to ask your vet or else read the online product reviews. Be careful to strictly follow the instructions given with the product.

Homemade Repellents

harmful indoor garden pests

Homemade repellents are ones you can make yourself with simple, readily available household ingredients. They do tend to be slower to work than chemical methods, but many people prefer them because they are eco-friendly and safer for their health. Ingredients used are usually acidic, such as vinegar or lemon juice. Spices are also used as pests often do not like these either. For instance, pepper, garlic and salt.

Method With Vinegar

Fill one bottle with white vinegar (50%) and water (50%) to kill weeds and grass poking out of the cracks in your concrete. Vinegar can also help kill ants. DO NOT spray vinegar directly on the plants as the high acidity concentration could kill them.

Method With Hot Pepper

harmful indoor garden pests

Boil together a mixture of 1 tablespoon of pepper and ½ gallon of water for about 15 minutes and let it cool. Strain through cheesecloth and add 1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid. Put into a spray bottle and spray the plants every 5 days.

Other Methods

A mixture of garlic, canola oil and hot pepper is an effective insecticide that works on soft-bodied pests such as aphids, but won’t harm your plants. To make it, mix several cloves of crushed garlic, ¼ cup canola oil, 3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce and ½ teaspoon liquid soap in 1 gallon of water, mix well. Put into spray bottle and shake well before using.

Another insect repellant that you can easily create is made with onions, cloves garlic and pepper. You just need to take the following steps: Puree 4 onions, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper and one quart of water. Set aside and dilute 2 tablespoons soap flakes in 2 gallons of water. Add the onion mixture from your blender; shake or stir well.

Your efforts will be wasted if you don’t take any preventative measures. An untidy indoor garden is always at higher risk of pest infestation than a well-cared for one. Follow these simple tips to keep your indoor garden looking beautiful and free of pests.

Control Measures

Keep the garden free of weeds, especially in the early spring when the pests are looking for food. Weeds can become their shelters to escape from our notice. Remove any dead or dying foliage, as this also provides shelter for harmful indoor garden pests.

Use barriers to cover young plants, which are so vulnerable, to prevent them from being harmed.

Delay planting at the end of the season, especially after a mild winter. Pests at the beginning of the season will cause the most damage and their numbers will skyrocket if winter weather is not cold enough to kill them.

Fertilize and water your garden regularly, to promote good, strong, new growth. The healthier your plants are, the better they will be able to stand up to insect damage.

Use yellow sticky traps, available at plant stores, to trap fleas in the garden.

At the end of the harvest season, clear the garden of all debris and rake up the grass in the garden so that pests do not have shelter. Bear in mind that the cleaner and neater your garden is, the fewer pests it will shelter.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are several ways to get rid of harmful indoor garden pests including eco-friendly repellents and chemical pesticides. Chemicals are useful when you have a large-scale problem on your hands, and need to take emergency measures. However, for long-term prevention and treatment, we’d recommend more natural products, to safeguard the health of your family, pets, and the environment. We hope that you found our harmful indoor garden pests tips helpful.

Author Bio: Richard Clayton

I’m an owner of a small gardening shop. I love gardening, especially lawn care. I can spend all of my free time taking care of my lawn and discussing lawn care experiences with my friends. Especially those who have the same hobby as me. My site, www.mygreenerylife.com is my playground, where I discuss everything about lawn care techniques.